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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23694019">Off on the Wrong Foot</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/almaasi/pseuds/almaasi'>almaasi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, April Fool’s Day, Autistic Julian Bashir, Begging, Bottom Elim Garak, Claiming, Cloaca, Communication Failure, Desperation Play, Edging, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Illustrated, Julian Bashir’s Foot Fetish, M/M, Making Love, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Nail Polish, Romance, Scent Marking, Smut, Top Julian Bashir, Wet &amp; Messy Sex, three chapters of this is just one sex scene</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:54:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,262</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23694019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/almaasi/pseuds/almaasi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Julian assumed he was over his silly crush on Garak. But then, while attempting a harmless prank, he sees something he wasn’t meant to see and his attraction comes hurtling back, all-consuming – and <i>completely terrifying</i>. With some help (from Ziyal, Keiko, and Miles), maybe Julian and Garak will finally figure out what the heck they want from each other, and how the hell they’re going to go about getting it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jake Sisko/Tora Ziyal, Julian Bashir/Elim Garak, Keiko O'Brien/Miles O'Brien, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>84</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>232</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Julian Box</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Beta’d by <a href="https://sippingteabythesea.tumblr.com/">sippingteabythesea</a>, <a href="https://conceptadecency.tumblr.com/">conceptadecency</a>, and <a href="https://fineillgettheapp.tumblr.com/">lighthouse</a>, with writerly assistance provided by <a href="https://anupalya.tumblr.com/">anupalya</a>. ♥ Endless thanks to <a href="https://conceptadecency.tumblr.com/">conceptadecency</a> in particular for helping me figure out the plot of this beyond the first few scenes!</p><p>Parts of this fic were inspired by <a href="https://almaasi.tumblr.com/post/615616112077537280/jazzypizzaz-audience-question-what-practical">this quote</a> from Siddig about how Julian would prank Garak (but sadly I have no firsthand source or context), <a href="https://almaasi.tumblr.com/post/190664052910">this post</a> by <a href="https://orchidtreks.tumblr.com/">orchidtreks</a> (except it lowkey became more about submitting than bottoming while I was writing), and this one other post I CANNOT FIND that was like “Julian and Garak resist each other for so long because they both know that if they start something, that’s it forever”. If anyone knows the post I mean, please send me the link!!!</p><p>Edit January 30th 2021: <a href="https://youtu.be/APTcJnAwE3w?t=2124">Video source of Sid!! Starts at 35:24.</a> Link kindly provided to me by fellow Sid City Social Club member <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/grunge_mermaid">grunge_mermaid</a>.</p><p>If you’re prone to second-hand embarrassment... yeeeeah, this probably isn’t the fic for you. Warning for Garak Being Mean To Everyone when he’s upset, and Julian ghosting Garak for a while due to a misunderstanding. Seriously, they’re perfect for each other. &gt;:( What a disaster. Also, a note on xenobiology, so it doesn’t freak you out when you get there: Cardassian semen is released from the bladder, since space lizards decidedly have no testicles. The process is inspired by human female ejaculation. So, no, it’s not pee. *finger guns*</p><p>♥ <a href="https://almaasi.tumblr.com/post/615614786586214400/fun-fact-the-flowers-bloom-when-they-sense-sex"><b>Art link!</b></a> (Beware mild spoilers?)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Miles could tell Julian was Up To Something. Whenever the skinny bastard started babbling <i>to Miles</i> about medical stuff, it was a sure sign the doctor was A) triple-caffeinated and overworking himself, or B) trying to talk himself in or out of something morally dubious. But, as Miles was beginning to suspect, there was always possibility C) – Julian was trying to distract Miles while the morally dubious act was already underway.</p><p>Miles was going to check in on Quark after this. Just in case he’d somehow roped Julian into something shady. Shadier than normal, at any rate.</p><p>“Hand me a spanner, would ya?” Miles uttered, interrupting Julian. Julian handed over the exact wrench Miles needed, then expelled another paragraph of “<i>rather embarrassing proctalgia</i>” this and “<i>topical analgesic by the bucketload</i>” that.</p><p>Miles tuned him out, having realised the door lock he was currently trying to fix had been purposefully sabotaged. He marvelled at how someone had been so sneaky as to break the lock without making it look broken: a wiry black hair had been jammed between the switch and the connector plate. He pulled it out and held it up to the light until it shone red-golden.</p><p>Julian leaned too casually on the wall by Miles, hips cocked out, mouth moving a mile a minute – “A hair! Look at that! Isn't <i>that</i> ingenious! And bad, obviously, someone must’ve put it there— Just terrible—”</p><p>He was definitely paying <i>too much</i> attention.</p><p>Miles scrunched down and got back to fixing the lock, twisting the hidden manual dial and poking in an override code. The door to Ensign Chafetz-Jones’ quarters hissed open, paused, then hissed shut again as Miles turned the dial.</p><p>“Whatever you’re planning, Julian,” Miles said, pointing a finger at his friend once he straightened up, “it had better not involve me.”</p><p>Julian had the indecency to look confused. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I’ll give you a pro-tip, alright?” Miles prodded Julian twice on the chest and held his eye as he said, “If you jam a hair in a door lock, at least use someone else’s hair.”</p><p>Julian blanched a little. “I don’t know what y—” He gulped. “I didn’t do anything,” he said, plucking at his sleeve with a finger and thumb. “Could be anyone’s hair.”</p><p>Miles snorted. He clipped the protective panel back on the door lock mechanism, realigning the handprint scanner as he said, “Tell me that after you’ve quit shedding all over my couch. There’s more of you there than Chester’s fur. Trust me, Julian, I know what your hair looks like.”</p><p>Julian folded his arms. “Someone’s framing me.”</p><p>“Uh-huh. What are you trying to do, anyway?” Miles asked. He snapped his tool kit shut, then picked it up by the handle. “Do I need to warn Chafetz-Jones that you’re being a nosy parker, or what?”</p><p>“Chafetz-who?”</p><p>“Ensign Chafetz-Jones.” Miles cocked his head towards the door he’d just fixed. “Lives here.”</p><p>Julian’s mouth dropped open. “Oh. Oh. Thh... them.”</p><p>“Her.”</p><p>“Her. Yes. Exactly.”</p><p>Miles narrowed his eyes. He turned away and stalked down the hallway. A pair of quick feet and a guilty presence followed him.</p><p>“Look, not that it’s <i>actually</i> any of your business,” Julian said, keeping pace with Miles now, “but it’s Garak.”</p><p>Miles rolled his eyes, careful to turn his head away so Julian didn’t see. “Uh-huh.” He glanced back at his friend. “What about him? <i>He</i> broke the lock?”</p><p>“Oh, no-no – I did. It’s just that it’s April Fool’s Day, obviously, and I’ve kind of had something in mind for him for weeks. I thought it was too silly at first, but – well – the idea won’t leave me alone.”</p><p>“A prank? You’re digging up century-forgotten holidays for a <i>prank</i>?”</p><p>“Ssssort of, yes. It’s not nasty, or dangerous, don’t worry. I thought I’d make him jump; that’s all.”</p><p>“And breaking some random lock and making me fix it is somehow relevant to that.”</p><p>“Well... yes.” If Julian had pockets in his uniform, his fists would’ve been deep inside them by now. Instead his fingers wriggled by his sides. “Sorry.” He offered a tense smile. “It’s just that we had lunch together today, and I know for a <i>fact</i> he’ll be out of his quarters and in his shop until midnight. So—”</p><p>“So <i>don’t</i> tell me about it... and maybe I won’t have to report you to Sisko for vandalism and intent to break and enter. How about that?” Miles grumbled. “Julian, you really would make the worst damn spy. And I didn’t sign up to be your unwitting accomplice, dammit.”</p><p>Julian sulked. “Maybe I made the sabotage obvious on purpose, so you’d figure it out, and we could talk about it without you giving me the door override code directly.”</p><p>“Oh, for God’s sake, Julian. Maybe? Maybe I don’t want to know.”</p><p>Julian chuckled, getting into the turbolift with Miles. “Maybe you know less than you think you do.”</p><p>Miles snorted at his smirking idiot friend. “Maybe <i>you</i> know less than you think you do.” He scoffed and stared forward as the lift doors closed. “Genetically enhanced, my arse. Bloody hell.”</p><p>Julian laughed, and for a good five minutes afterwards, Miles didn’t know whether he hated or loved him.</p><div class="center">
  <p> <br/>★<br/> </p>
</div>If Julian knew Miles at all, he’d be changing the door override codes right about now. So, even though another half-hour remained before Garak would head back to his quarters, Julian made his way to the Habitat Ring and tried not to look shady as he passed other people.<p>It was one thing to play at being a spy in the holosuites, and an entirely different thing to live out the game in real-time in a genuinely dangerous situation. But, somehow, when levity was the only goal, and illegal trespassing was only a questionable means to a harmless end, Julian didn’t feel the need to be especially stealthy. Even Odo would probably harrumph this off with a vague warning if he caught Julian in the act.</p><p>Julian bit his lip and grinned as he stood outside Garak’s door and levered off the panel cover. He crouched a little to peer into the mechanism, found the dial Miles had twisted, and did the same. The override code remained in effect for now; Garak’s door whooshed open, pouring dry heat into the corridor.</p><p>In a flash, Julian covered up the panel, hurried inside, then hit the button to close the door. Sealed into Garak’s quarters alone! And Garak would be none the wiser...</p><p>Julian had put on his purple-blue top with the asymmetrical collar before leaving his own quarters tonight, and now congratulated himself on choosing something cool to wear – his Cardassian friend’s room really <i>was</i> hotter than he remembered. It seemed to get even hotter as Julian paced through the living area and into the bedroom. The red heat lamps were on, and their glare was scalding-hot against the side of his face as he came up to the bed in the dark.</p><p>The bed was impeccably made, sheets all neatly tucked down at the sides. Garak had finally taken Julian’s suggestion and had replicated a blanket. Or five, it seemed. Julian pried back each layer and kept finding more.</p><p>With a handful of blanket corners in his grip, Julian checked back over his shoulder and listened to make sure Garak wasn’t somehow home already.</p><p>Not a peep...</p><p>Nor a whisper...</p><p>Good. </p><p>Julian snuck off his shoes and nudged them under the bed with the side of his bare foot until they were no longer visible, then he crawled knees-and hip-first into the bed, starting to grin as he did.</p><p>Ooh, Garak’s bed was squishy. Ironic, Julian thought, given how <i>firm</i> Cardassian mattresses traditionally were. These days there were only two Cardassians on the station, and one of them liked his bed <i>soft</i>. Garak really wasn’t like anyone else, was he? Not at all.</p><p>Julian burrowed down into the middle of the bed, humming as he found it a bit too comfortable. It was... cozy. Even with Julian’s shirt rucked up against his back and his trousers twisted around his thighs, he relaxed.</p><p>Warm. Snug.</p><p>Noooo... It may have been late at night, but this was no time for sleep. He had a prank to perform.</p><p>He rolled onto his front and got himself straightened out: clothes neat and blankets arranged inconspicuously around and over him. Garak would come in and wouldn’t see anything amiss in the dark until it was too late; that was the point. Julian was part of the bed now. He <i>was</i> the bed.</p><p>Since Garak wasn’t here, Julian didn’t think he ought to bury his head under the sheets and smother himself just yet. He left his cheek on Garak’s pillow, gazing dazedly at the side of the room and admiring the stars through the porthole.</p><p>He breathed deeply, and soon his eyelids started to droop. “Hmmm,” he complained, blinking hard and turning his head the other way. Garak must’ve sprayed something on his sheets to help him sleep. It smelled sort of... wood-brown, musky in an oily way, and very enticing indeed.</p><p>Curious to see if he could determine the substance, Julian set his nose into the padding of the triangular pillow and inhaled deeply.</p><p>Pleasure surged through him, boiling up from the soles of his feet and plunging down from the back of his neck, finally lingering in his groin with a throb of arousal and comfort. Julian moaned a little, fingers stretching up to clutch the pillow. He breathed in a lungful of the scent and hummed it out again as he nuzzled into Garak’s pillow. There was nothing on the pillow but the smell of <i>him</i>.</p><p>Ohhh, he smelled nice.</p><p>Julian’s chest and the lowest part of his belly still tingled.</p><p>Nobody would see if he smiled, so he smiled. He shut his eyes for a while, hugging the pillow. It felt a little exciting, actually, to imagine Garak coming in and being surprised. Not by a “Boo!” – but by Julian just being <i>here</i>, in his bed, unprepared and accidentally aroused.</p><p>But, the <i>implications</i> of that!</p><p><i>My God.</i> Julian’s eyes snapped open. <i>What the hell am I doing?</i> How had it taken until now to realise how it might come across, showing up all tucked into a friend’s bed? A prank just wasn’t funny unless it was clearly a joke. And right now, Julian was wondering how much of a joke it really was for <i>himself</i>. All these weeks planning and his prank was ‘snuggle up in Garak’s bed’?! How off Earth was that funny? How had he managed to convince himself it would be?</p><p>Julian rolled over again, messing up the sheets. He stared at the ceiling and stretched out his body, hips rising as a little of that excitement took a deeper hold on him. He squirmed and curled one thigh over the other to press on his semi-erection. This had to stop right now. This wasn’t what he’d come for.</p><p>He wrenched himself out of the bed and frantically began tucking all the blankets in again, trying to replicate the militaristic style Garak used for the corners. Julian flushed with embarrassment over and over as he swiped all the creases away and tidied up the pillow last. His crotch was still plump, but he refused to let it distract him.</p><p>Having determined that the sheets looked untouched, Julian threw himself to the floor and crawled under the bed, wincing as his slight arousal grazed the carpet. He fumbled and jostled around until his body aligned with the mattress above, and he was draped in the absolute darkness where the red light didn’t reach.</p><p>But ambient light crept under, just a little... Even some of the starlight touched the shade.</p><p>Julian’s eyes adjusted, and in the shadows he saw the glinting edge of a gilded white box less than a foot from his face.</p><p>About eight inches wide, it was tinted pink by the light and had a presumably-golden handle on its top. It was so detailed in its floral design that it seemed reminiscent of a Rococo-period jewellery box from Earth. It bulged upwards in the lid and outwards in the body; four little gold feet kept it off the carpet.</p><p>Snooping wasn’t what Julian had come for either. Breaking into Garak’s quarters without permission was bad enough; he didn’t need to pry through his things.</p><p>He <i>shouldn’t</i>.</p><p>So, he rested his chin on his folded hands and stared at the box for nine minutes, wondering what was inside. Personal things, definitely. Something pretty to match the pretty box. Something that smelled nice: there was a slight perfumey scent to the surrounding space. Something secret enough that Garak didn’t keep it on display, but not so secret that he still kept it close and available on hand. Perhaps he accessed it often.</p><p>There was a perfunctory lock on the box catch, but even Julian’s absent-minded fiddling made it fall open. Clearly security wasn’t Garak’s great concern here. Which meant... He might not be too worried if someone saw...?</p><p>Julian resisted again, hating that he was so nosy, and so inclined towards espionage where none was required. Garak loved his secrets, and he was entitled to those, as was everyone. Julian had no right...</p><p>Oh, just a peek? If it wasn’t sex toys, it was probably makeup and perfume, and it wasn’t as if it was any different seeing and smelling makeup and perfume in its raw form, when Julian had already seen and smelled it on Garak’s person.</p><p>Julian lifted the lid and peered in.</p><p>Mostly data rods, he discovered in surprise. Holonovels? They were collected together like pens in a jar: all their blunt maroon ends created a plateau of circles across half the box’s insides. He pulled out one and saw on the label that it was the analysis of the Cold War he’d given Garak to study. He put that back and pried out another: <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>. Garak had despised that one. Or at least he’d said so.</p><p>With an intrigued frown, Julian pulled up another random rod from the back and huffed in astonishment when he discovered it was the chapter of <i>Julian Bashir: Secret Agent</i> that he’d played with Garak. The rod had mysteriously vanished from the holosuite when Julian went to look for it, and ever since that day Julian had assumed the friends who’d been trapped in the game had had the chapter destroyed and just didn’t want to tell him. But... here it was. In one piece. Under Garak’s bed.</p><p>Unsure what to make of it all, Julian let his fingers stray from the data rods over to another section of the box on the right. These items were clumsily grouped together as they all varied wildly in shape and size.</p><p>He had to take out a box of Delavian chocolates to see the rest. It was too light. He shook it, but it definitely had nothing inside.</p><p>Here was the glossy rainbow rock from Risa that Julian had tossed over Garak’s tailoring table as a welcome-back gift when he got out of prison.</p><p>Here was the set of pocket-size animated holoimages of Julian shyly posing and twirling in a wedding dress; Garak had needed a living model to fit as his customer had been off the station at the time, and Julian was “the right size”...</p><p>Julian gulped, thinking he actually looked quite pretty in the dress. The side cut-outs and the low bust looked exceptionally elegant on his figure, frankly. He hadn’t needed to look so bashful just because Garak was pointing a camera at him – even the shyest smile would’ve gone a long way. Garak had said he looked gorgeous and Julian had been too embarrassed to even consider that he might be right.</p><p>Still staring at the photos, Julian fumbled in the jewellery box and found... hmm, what was that?</p><p>A flat seashell with a shimmer on the inside. Julian had discovered it lost in the medical bay a few months ago and thought Garak would find it interesting. Clearly he did.</p><p>And here was the chess piece Julian carved when the power went out that day – what was it, two years ago? He’d expected to find it in the box, after everything else he’d found. Funny, he remembered the curve of the horse’s nose being rougher.</p><p>Wait. It almost seemed like...? Like the horse’s nose had been worn down by a thumb over time.</p><p>Huh.</p><p>Fishing down at the bottom of the box, Julian pulled out a long string.</p><p>A shoelace? Two shoelaces tied together.</p><p>“<i>My</i> shoelaces!” Julian exclaimed in irritated horror. He’d been looking for these damn things for months! He hadn’t been able to wear his sneakers because the replicator kept giving him <i>round</i> shoelaces and they ruined the 1990s aesthetic. There was no beating a flat cotton weave for sneaker laces. Garak had disagreed. And now Julian realised exactly how much he disagreed.</p><p>“You stole my shoelaces,” Julian uttered under his breath. He tossed the laces back into the box and began carelessly piling everything else back in.</p><p>He slowed as he got to the rock, then the photos.</p><p>Garak had a Julian Box.</p><p>Under his bed.</p><p>It smelled of <i>perfume</i>.</p><p>Julian didn’t get a moment more to think about what it all meant before he heard the hiss of Garak’s door. Alert like never before, Julian moved stiffly to return the last items to the box, then he lowered the lid shut in complete silence.</p><p>Breathing silently, he lay frozen with his chin on his hands again, eyes looking past the bed’s overbearing shadow and towards the living area. Golden light was split and rejoined by the scissoring movement of legs. Garak was on his way over.</p><p>Julian couldn’t help but smile; Garak hummed to himself, the very same song Julian had had stuck in his head over lunch. He wasn’t even sure Garak fully understood what Christmas was, or what boughs of holly were, but he mentally decked the halls in any case.</p><p>Biting his lip, Julian decided that he would wait until Garak was close to the bed and completely at ease before he leapt out. If Garak got close enough, Julian could even grab his ankle and that would <i>definitely</i> make him scream. Better yet, Garak could get into bed, and Julian could slowly begin to tease him with unusual disturbances in the room.</p><p>Julian had expected Garak to first head into the bathroom, or replicate some tea at least, but already he was up against the bed, shuffling around where Julian couldn’t see. Just a pair of embroidered loafers patted back and forth before him; the hems of Garak’s trousers shifted on the stiff black velvet.</p><p>With a <i>pluff</i> Garak’s heavy tunic hit the floor and a waft of that personal scent that had been all over his bed came to float around Julian’s head, making him close his eyes tight and hold his breath, hands in fists, forehead down on his knuckles. He squeezed his legs together tightly, desperate not to get excited. Garak was taking his clothes off and <i>plupfff</i> – there went his trousers.</p><p>Swallowing, Julian braved a peek out, seeing the pool of heavy fabrics mere inches from his nose. Garak now stepped out and swept up the discarded items in a hand, tossing them elsewhere. His slippers were gone and—</p><p>And now his feet were bare.</p><p>Julian ceased to resist his urge to stare. Without question, Garak had the most fascinating Humanoid feet Julian had ever seen in his life. They were grey and covered in reptilian scales; the biggest and widest were like dragon-belly stripes down the tops of his feet. His nails were like talons filed short and neat. And <i>oh</i>, were they <i>pretty</i> feet. Perfectly-defined inner arches. A slim ankle. A wide heel and forefoot. He moved with grace, unaware he was being watched.</p><p>Most attractive of all, although also most concerning, were the old scars ridged around his lower ankles, obviously from the long-term use of shackles. There was a crookedness to the second toe on his right foot, having been broken and healed badly. Julian almost reached out to examine it, but he snatched back his hand before it touched the light.</p><p>Beautiful. What he wouldn’t give to kiss those scars... Julian almost moaned in want, but he swallowed the lump in his throat down, and it ached fiercely in his chest instead.</p><p>Garak’s underwear dropped to the floor, and the scent was bitter and the air hot: the combination was intimate enough that Julian blushed. The burning in his face crept down his neck and upper back. He wouldn’t have thought of Garak as the sort to wear white satin knickers, but there they were. They looked soft. They had a waist tie made of the same material, no elastic.</p><p>Guilt racked through Julian as he felt his erection pushing into the floor. He was harder than before. He couldn’t jump out now, could he? Not like this. He shut his eyes and tried to focus on his original plan: make Garak startle. Make him cry out, “OH! Doctor! What a surprise!” and then laugh and congratulate him on breaking in without leaving a trace.</p><p>Garak stopped humming and let out a quiet breath. He sniffed a little. Then he took up his underwear and threw it wherever he’d thrown his other clothes.</p><p>Julian listened as he opened up a drawer, and watched as he lowered a fresh pair of underwear to the floor, these ones black. God, Garak was exquisite. The way he stepped into the leg holes... one, two... The way he slung his intimates up his bare legs so delicately... Julian tilted his head on its side and pillowed his hands under his cheek. He rolled his hips into the floor a few times just to assuage some of the pressure, but his body erupted in tingles, and his breath fluttered, eyes dipping half-shut. He couldn’t stop humping. He held back a sigh of longing with a lip-bite, trying to relax and calm down. But he just wanted to push, and push, and watch those feet step on past – another drawer opened, fingers grappled with something to lift it – and he wanted to watch Garak tread close again—</p><p>Something sharp and cold sliced through Julian’s sleeve, pinning his arm to the floor. He shrieked and ripped his sleeve as he yanked away from the sword. Padding drifted down out of the wound in the mattress above him like lumps of snow.</p><p>“Garak!” Julian cried out. “Garak, for God’s sake, it’s me!”</p><p>“Julian?” Garak sounded perplexed. “Doctor, what are you doing in here? And under <i>there</i>?”</p><p>He knelt and peered under the bed, probably seeing two shiny, frightened eyes looking out from the shadows. With a growl, Garak reached in, grabbed Julian by the scruff of his shirt, and <i>dragged</i> him out with horrendous strength, scraping Julian’s knees and elbows on the carpet all the way.</p><p>Julian pushed himself up as soon as he was out from under the bed, slapping Garak off him and getting to his feet in distaste. “Since when do you have a sword?”</p><p>“A sensible man is never without one,” Garak retorted, looking Julian first in the eyes then down at his ripped shirt. “Do forgive my trespass, doctor. I hope you’re not hurt.”</p><p>Julian touched his bicep but found only a torn sleeve and no injury. “No.”</p><p>“Then perhaps you’d care to explain why you’ve taken it upon yourself to stow yourself away in my sleeping quarters tonight?”</p><p>Julian opened his mouth, but had no good answer. “I... I just... w-wanted...”</p><p>Garak was topless and shiny, and he had a spoon-shaped crest over his sternum and iridescent scales across his collarbones and a <i>solid</i>, flat middle that was really much stronger and firmer than it looked under all the tunics he usually wore. Wide shoulders; a well-proportioned waist dip. Thick cords of scaled ridges descended from his shoulders down his semi-muscular biceps to his elbows. And his satin underwear was even more stylish on than off.</p><p>Julian’s lips bobbed, and all his coherent thoughts escaped him with a useless wisp of air. Oh, <i>fuck</i>, he really hoped his pupils weren’t dilated. But given the low light and the tumescent way he was feeling, that was obviously too much to hope for.</p><p>“...Wanted to surprise you,” Julian finished, meekly.</p><p>By now Garak had taken in Julian’s dishevelled, shame-faced look, and the moment Julian tried to meet his eyes, he knew he was done for. Garak was looking down at Julian’s tented trousers.</p><p>“Consider me surprised,” Garak said smoothly. He drew a deep, <i>slow</i> breath in, meeting Julian’s eyes as his chest swelled.</p><p>Julian began to cross his arms protectively, but Garak got to his torso first, taking Julian’s waist and holding him close enough that Julian could taste orange chocolate on Garak’s breath.</p><p>“My dear,” Garak murmured, searching Julian’s eyes – left, right – pulling him closer, arms around his slim waist, hands rucking up the shirt at his back.</p><p>“<i>Ou-h</i>-hh, shhhh,” Julian shuddered weakly, unable to pull away because it felt too good, his hard cock pushing on Garak’s hip, pushing into that <i>heat</i>, that strength, while his musk filled Julian’s lungs. “HhmmGarak...? IA-h...”</p><p>A shivering hand touched Garak’s chest. Stung by fire and snatched back, it soon reconsidered, and pressed there again, thrilled by the resistance the muscles gave.</p><p>Julian’s groin throbbed. His heart beat twice as loud but half as noticeably. He gazed at Garak’s lips, melted by his body heat and proximity.</p><p>Garak sighed in delighted relief, eyes crinkling; his widening lips tugged up at the corners as emotion overcame him. “You see, Elim,” he remarked cheerfully to himself, “patience really <i>does</i> have its rewards.” His fingers stroked Julian’s cheek, bristling the late-night stubble. “My dear doctor came to seduce me at long last.”</p><p>Julian’s eyes wandered to meet Garak’s, unsure if he’d heard right. “Hm... whhh...?”</p><p>“I’ll admit I’ve tried to take things slowly with you,” Garak said softly, a thumb exploring Julian’s lower lip. “I was so worried I’d scare you. But you can’t imagine how gratifying it is for me, doctor, to find you in wait. Ohh, my love, I—” Garak cradled his cheek and kissed him, a hum of relief falling into Julian’s mouth. </p><p>Their kiss broke, Julian’s body on fire, Garak’s eyes darker than the room and more sparkly than the stars outside. “I have no words to even <i>begin</i> to explain how <i>happy</i> I am.” His tone said it all. </p><p><i>He might be about to cry</i>, Julian thought.</p><p>“Garak,” Julian whispered. <i>This is all a mistake. You don’t understand. This wasn’t what I came for. But maybe... kiss me again...? Just... to check...</i></p><p>Tentative, mindless – he leaned in.</p><p>Garak gifted him another kiss, this one so tender and so deep that Julian could <i>feel</i> how desperately Garak was holding back. He wanted to take Julian apart and that desire shook between their breaths, nipped with teeth, licked by the tip of a hot Cardassian tongue.</p><p>Julian’s breath came out in a shuddering moan, knees weak, head turning. “Ohhh, God, Garak, what’s happening...?”</p><p>Garak held him and kissed him, kissed his cheek, his jaw, lifting his hands and kissing those too. “Anything you like, my love. Anything. Anything, I mean it. Ohmm.” He scrunched both hands into Julian’s hair and moaned as he claimed his lips once more, rolling mouths and open jaws, pushing and nosing for more. “Ju’hlian—”</p><p>“A<i>aa</i>uhh,” Julian groaned, head falling back. He wanted to be kissed all over. Garak had such a passion about him that was going to be Julian’s immediate undoing. “Garak...”</p><p>Wait... No... They couldn’t...</p><p>Julian drew a dizzy, soft breath and tried to pull away. But Garak took the resistance as a tease and grappled for him again, chuckling darkly as he began to suck on Julian’s neck. It didn’t help that it caused untold pleasure; Julian shivered and whined, feeling wet heat spurt into his underwear. He had to pull away. He couldn’t even remember why, but he knew he had to.</p><p>One step back, a hand barricading Garak from further touches, Julian fought for breath and a clear head.</p><p>A prank. He came here for a prank. Innocent. Playful.</p><p>“Boo,” he said – and then felt too ridiculous to continue living.</p><p>“Oh, dear-dear-<i>dear</i>. Am I doing so terribly that you feel the need to scorn me so?” Garak smiled. “Allow me to make it up to you, doctor.” He stepped close and growled low below Julian’s left ear. “Please,” he said, “go ahead and do what you came for. If you’d like me to put up a little fight as you seduce me, I can do so.”</p><p>Yet Julian hung back, and Garak just waited, expecting to be touched. Fear flittered through Julian’s chest as he realised how terribly everything had gone wrong. Surely <i>he</i> was now the victim of a prank. Garak must’ve heard about April Fool’s Day from someone – probably Dax – and had taken it upon himself to beat Julian at his own game. That had to be what was happening.</p><p>But Garak’s lustful gaze didn’t let up. He stared, lascivious, admiring Julian’s kiss-plump lips, and fluttering lashes, and thick, wet-tipped erection twitching in his trousers. He watched Julian swallow, then lick his lips twice as he tried to speak.</p><p>“The box,” Julian breathed, voice painfully guttural. “Under your bed.”</p><p>“Ah,” Garak lowered his eyes, but didn’t look upset. “You found that.”</p><p>“It’s all things I gave you.”</p><p>“I’ll admit I’ve never had so many wonderful gifts bestowed upon me from one person before. And certainly not from someone as dear to me as you.”</p><p>Julian swallowed. “You stole my shoelaces.”</p><p>Garak’s smile widened. “Hmm, so I did. Apologies, dearest Julian. If I may, I’ll demonstrate... how terribly sssssorry I am—” He stepped in for another kiss, this one rushing and hungry and grabby. Hard breaths, hot tongue, little moans—</p><p>Fuck.</p><p>Garak wasn’t sorry.</p><p>He was in <i>love</i>.</p><p>Julian’s heart burst into flame and took his entire body and soul with it. Now a mere puff of smoke, he pushed Garak away in panic and fled the room and all his disturbingly wonderful feelings.</p><p>But the feelings followed him. Heavy on his chest. Fat between his legs.</p><p>He thought he’d gotten over his crush on Garak years ago. But now, in one moment, with one mistake, everything was undone.</p><div class="center">
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Wreck'd Ball</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Julian hit the O’Briens’ doorbell. Then he hit it again.</p><p>He paced back and forth twice outside the door in bare feet, then he hit the doorbell for a third time before ripping off the front panel, twisting the dial, and punching in the code—</p><p>The code had been changed.</p><p>He snapped the cover back on and waited impatiently, sulking, arms crossed, fidgeting in place. He hit the doorbell eight more times all at once for good measure.</p><p>The door eventually opened, and a bed-ready Miles stood there in a dressing gown, sonic toothbrush hanging from his lips. “Wha? Julian, wha’ss the—”</p><p>“We need to play racquetball. Right now.”</p><p>Keiko came up behind Miles in a red silk gown, looking worried. “Julian, is everything okay?”</p><p>“Oh, perfectly!” Julian said, completely on edge. “I just need to play racquetball. Immediately.”</p><p>Miles popped his toothbrush out of his mouth and asked, “What happened to your shirt? And your shoes? And your hair?”</p><p>Julian exploded a little bit, then calmed down. “Miles,” he said, carefully, “get your racquet. Please. Now.”</p><p>Miles sighed. He turned away from the entrance and shuffled towards the bathroom. Keiko stayed at the door, holding it open and giving Julian a calming but concerned smile. “Just need to burn off some excess energy, huh?” she wondered.</p><p>“...Mm-hm,” Julian said, strained.</p><p>Keiko didn’t take her eyes off him until Miles was back wearing his shorts and white polo shirt, with his racquet slung over his back by its strap. He settled his sweatband over his forehead, then sighed, “Alright. Let’s go.”</p><p>Julian set off at an eager pace, and Miles jogged to keep up.</p><p>“You’re really going to play wearing that?” Miles asked, getting into the turbolift with Julian. “You look like you’ve been in a fight.”</p><p>Julian said nothing, as a thousand desperate exclamations all tangled on his tongue. Miles stared, then realised Julian wasn’t going to talk.</p><p>They approached the Workout Deck and found the entire sector of the station empty, so Julian had his pick of the courts. He stormed to the first one and entered the well-lit black room. His friend followed.</p><p>Miles unslung his racquet and started unzipping it from its case while Julian stomped between two targets on the floor with his head down, bouncing off the angled ramps with a foot each time he reached them.</p><p>“‘Kay,” Miles said, swinging his racquet in a preparatory way. “Where’s the ball?”</p><p>Julian sat down in the middle of the floor, cross-legged, head in his hands.</p><p>Miles remained standing. “Seriously, Julian, don’t you need to change? Where’s all your stuff?”</p><p>“Miles.” Julian peeked up at his friend in exasperation. “Sit down.”</p><p>Miles lifted the sweatband off his forehead, and... slowly... sat down, also cross-legged, half a metre in front of Julian.</p><p>“I need to tell you something,” Julian said.</p><p>“O...kay?”</p><p>A breath eased out between Julian’s rounded lips as his chin dropped to his collarbone. “Something went wrong while I was... pranking Garak.”</p><p>Miles’ eye contact remained attentive. He was listening.</p><p>Thus, Julian began.</p><p>“So. Um. I was lying in Garak’s bed, waiting for him to come in so I could jump out.”</p><p>“Wait, you were <i>what</i>?”</p><p>Julian’s mouth opened and shut. He rolled a tense shoulder, trying not to blush. “Lying in his bed. Under the covers. And it felt... Hmm, nice. A bit too nice. I was getting sleepy. So I got under his bed instead, and that was where it all went wrong, because he came in, a-a-and he started – well, he started undressing.”</p><p>Miles placed a palm over his eyes and grunted.</p><p>“I didn’t see him naked,” Julian assured him. “Not <i>all</i> of him, anyway. Just his... feet.” He managed a crooked, awkward smile when Miles looked a bit relieved. But then Julian leaned forward and quietly revealed, “Unfortunately, the problem was...” He gulped. “I got... <i>excited</i>.”</p><p>Miles’ eyes shot to Julian’s. His ears turned red over a few seconds, his face tense.</p><p>Julian almost felt bad, knowing he was about to make it all worse.</p><p>“Miles, do you remember... when we were helping the T’Lani and the Kellerun with their Harvester problem. And you got infected.”</p><p>Miles frowned. “Yeah?” He was hardly likely to forget.</p><p>“And we were camped out in the desert shack together, you were dying, and we were trying to fix the—”</p><p>“I remember, Julian.”</p><p>“And I told you about Palis.”</p><p>“Paris, France?”</p><p>“Palis Delon.”</p><p>“Oh. Your, uh... pre-Starfleet girlfriend.”</p><p>Julian swallowed. He groaned a little as he furiously rubbed his hands over his face. He nodded, sniffing in a breath as he lowered his hands to his ankles and twisted them there. “And I told you she had ‘exquisite feet’.”</p><p>Miles’ small mouth grew wider as he thought back, then said, “III dunno. I guess? Why?” He looked utterly perplexed.</p><p>Julian looked Miles in the eyes and willed him to read his mind. </p><p>Yet, Miles just sat there, slack jawed, not spontaneously developing telepathy.</p><p>Apparently it would have to be said aloud. “Miles, I— God.” Julian tipped his head all the way back to his shoulders and stared into the bright overhead lights. “Okay.” He looked at Miles with a grim smile. “You’re going to hate me for telling you this, but— Miles, I have a... a foot fetish.”</p><p>Miles blinked. “A... wh...?”</p><p>“Foot fetish. I like... feet. I— Hghh.” Julian wanted to throw up. He breathed deeply a few times, face hidden behind his fists. “I like pretty feet, alright? If I’m attracted to someone, besides their personality and scent and their willingness to play doctor with me, their feet are basically their most attractive feature.”</p><p>Miles’ whole face flushed beet-red, eyes watering. He squeaked, then cleared his throat and said, “Why the everloving fuck are you telling me this, Julian?”</p><p>Julian took a few aborted breaths as he tried to organise his explanation.</p><p>Meanwhile Miles started to huff, and by the time Julian looked back at him, Miles was grinning.</p><p>“Oh-ho,” Miles chuckled. “Okay. You got me.”</p><p>“I did?”</p><p>“Nice prank. Weird, but, uh. When <i>isn’t</i> anything you do off-the-charts weird? You had me going there for a minute,” Miles chuckled, wagging a finger. “Although, technically, it’s after midnight, so it’s not exactly April Fool’s anymore.”</p><p>Julian’s mouth hung open. “Oh, Miles. No. No, I... I’m being serious.”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“Genuinely!” Julian spread his hands.</p><p>Miles glanced to Julian’s ripped sleeve and bare feet, then, after a moment of reconsideration, he sobered up as it slowly dawned on him that this wasn’t in fact a prank. He started to look nauseous.</p><p>“Look, the thing is—” Julian palmed his forehead, then went on, “The thing is... I told you: Palis, she was a ballerina. And dancers like that, they work so hard, their feet— Calloused like nothing you’ve ever seen. Broken toes. Toenails... You don’t want to know. But, the thing I liked most...” Julian sighed in helpless delight. “I get to kiss them better. And massage the pain away, and—”</p><p>“Enough. Enough.” Miles shook his hands aggressively like he was trying to wipe a window clean between them. “I get the picture.”</p><p>“Garak has...” Julian squirmed where he sat, discreetly adjusting himself so Miles wouldn’t see his crotch starting to swell. “Scars. And scales. And <i>beautiful</i> arches. You wouldn’t even believe how beautiful.”</p><p>Miles hung his head into his hands. “Mm-hm?” he hummed flatly, encouraging Julian even from the depths of his despair.</p><p>“And from under the bed, I had a perfect view...” Julian’s breath hitched. He pressed his hand over his mouth as he turned his face away from the horrified Miles O’Brien.</p><p>After they’d both taken a few seconds to compose themselves, Julian lowered his hand and offered an apologetic smile. “I must’ve made a noise without realising, because Garak noticed me. Pulled me out. And—” Julian’s lashes fluttered as a hot breath gushed out of him. “We kissed. We <i>kissed</i>. Oh, it was amazing.”</p><p>“Kissed— Wait-wait, hang on—” Miles raised a hand. “You’re tellin’ me your Cardie friend, Garak, an Obsidian Order <i>assassin</i>, he goes and finds a strange intruder under his bed and just... snogs him.”</p><p>“Oh, he tried to kill me <i>first</i>, obviously,” Julian scoffed. He gestured at his ripped sleeve. “But then he saw it was me, and he kissed me.”</p><p>Miles shook his head slowly. “And you... pulled me away from a decent night’s sleep to tell me this.”</p><p>“Miles—” Julian threw his hands across the gulf between them and gripped Miles’ bare and hairy knees, looking up at him desperately. “He’s in love with me.”</p><p>“What?</p><p>“Garak. He loves me. I think he might’ve loved me for years.”</p><p>Miles stared.</p><p>“Oh, this is torture!” Julian rolled over to lie on his back, hands on his head, his hair in contact with Miles’ left knee. “Obviously I ran away when I realised how much he wanted me. But I have <i>no</i> idea what to do now.”</p><p>Miles grunted.</p><p>Julian looked up at him hopefully. “Well?”</p><p>Miles peered down. “What, you actually want suggestions? I thought you just wanted to ruin my entire life with things I can’t unhear.”</p><p>“For God’s sake, Miles, I’m not Keiko. Alright, <i>sometimes</i> she just needs a listening ear, but if I tell you about my problems it’s because I <i>want</i> help.”</p><p>“Except when you don’t.”</p><p>“Except then, yes. But that’s only because your suggestions are awful.”</p><p>Another grunt left Miles, and he folded his arms. “Look... honestly? I don’t even know what the problem is. In your shoes— Or out of them, I guess...” His eyes shifted to Julian’s bare feet. “Where even are your shoes, anyway—?”</p><p>“Under Garak’s bed.”</p><p>Miles opened and closed his mouth. “Right. Well. Uh – me in your shoes, yeah, I get the whole running-away thing. But, uh. Not for nothin’, Julian, but why <i>did</i> you run away? Didn’t you have the biggest crush on the guy, barely two years ago?”</p><p>“Yes?” Julian glared up at Miles, offended. “And I got <i>over</i> it.”</p><p>“Did you?”</p><p>Julian sat up and swivelled to face Miles again. “I am <i>completely</i> over him. I’m not even <i>close</i> to being in love.”</p><p>“You do hear yourself, right?” Miles managed to crack a grin. “Julian, come on, you’re done for. Why <i>are</i> you such a wreck right now? Seems like the only thing you’ve ever wanted in life is for someone to love you. Now, someone does, and you’re fleeing the scene like loving you’s some sorta crime.”</p><p>“I— He!” Julian spread his hands. “Miles, you’re joking, aren’t you? I broke into Garak’s quarters with the sole intention of making a platonic friend <i>laugh</i>. Barely ten minutes later, I have an involuntary straining erection that refuses to respond to reason, damp and sticky underwear, half a hickey, and I’ve realised the man I’ve been having lunches with for however-many years has been hoarding every shiny bit of rubbish I ever threw at him and has just been biding his time before he could call me ‘my love’ instead of ‘my dear doctor’. He called me by my first name, Miles. He never does that. He <i>loves</i> me. <i>Loves</i>. Like—”</p><p>Julian took a few unsteady breaths. “Like he’s gone home every evening and imagined me sleeping beside him. Like he’s watched me speak about every subject under the stars and just wished he could kiss me to shut me <i>up</i> the whole time. Like he already thought of me as ‘his love’ and just... never said it aloud. Like he’d marry me tomorrow if he thought I wanted to. Like he wants to <i>cherish</i> me, you know? And protect and provide for me for the rest of our lives. That kind of love.”</p><p>“Alright? And?” Miles shook his head. “Wasn’t that what you were feeling for him a few years back?”</p><p>“No,” Julian said firmly. “And it’s not what I’m feeling now, either.”</p><p>Miles sighed, fingertips massaging his temples. “Ugh, Lord help me... Explain. What <i>are</i> you feeling now?”</p><p>“It’s... lust. Okay, maybe a bit of a crush as well, and we’re really good friends too, and you <i>know</i> I’d do anything for him, die for him even, but mostly I just—” Julian wet his lips. “You’ll hate me again – but I just want to suck his toes, Miles, that’s all.”</p><p>If Miles was mortified by all this, he was handling it fairly well. Personally, Julian felt like he wanted to curl into a ball and block his ears and whine a single note until the holosimulation that was his life ended and he never had to play this game again.</p><p>“I don’t want to hurt him,” Julian said quietly, slinging his arms around his bent knees and holding on. “But the thing is, I think I already have. He’s <i>so</i> secretive, but he basically gave up his greatest secret when he misunderstood why I was in his room.”</p><p>“<i>Did</i> he misunderstand?” Miles looked oddly wise now. “Maybe you were in his room for exactly the reason he assumed. Look, it’s hardly a prank, Julian, hiding in someone’s bed. Not unless you’re six years old. Or the underlying joke is that you <i>want</i> him to think you’re into him.”</p><p>Julian fretted, eyes darting away. He worried Miles might be right.</p><p>“If you really want suggestions...” Miles shrugged. “I say talk to him. You clearly like him more than you realised. Your, uh... involuntary reactions being the case in point. I get that you’re kind of freaked out over it— It’s sudden, huh.”</p><p>Julian nodded, then shook his head, eyes shut.</p><p>“But, Jesus Christ, Julian, it took you <i>months</i> to get over him last time. I’ll admit, even back then then I thought, hey, that’s a bit weird. Seemed like more than just an obsession with spies and older men, ya know? Figured you were a bit madly in love with him and just didn’t wanna tell me.”</p><p>“Why wouldn’t I tell you? In case you looked like that?” Julian smiled. “Red face, on the verge of a heart attack?”</p><p>Miles managed a stiff smile. “Pretty much.” He took a breath, then sighed. “Listen, you know I’m not a fan of the guy, but I don’t get why you’re resisting your feelings for him. He apparently ‘loves’ you. You obviously have <i>some</i> feelings for him, and they’re not exactly new or tepid feelings, are they? Isn’t that enough? What’s stopping you?”</p><p>Julian sighed. “Well, there’s Ziyal.”</p><p>“What about her?”</p><p>“They have lunch together, too. I think she likes him.”</p><p>Miles puffed. “What! You’re kidding. Garak’s old enough to be her—”</p><p>“Grandfather, I know, but that doesn’t stop him being attractive, does it? They’re... kindred spirits.”</p><p>“Takes one to know one, Julian. Ugh. Makes me wanna puke saying it, but given your fucked up life trajectories and matching interests and issues, you and Garak are basically made for each other.”</p><p>Julian scoffed. “Look, I just don’t want to get in the way of things.”</p><p>“Julian, forget Ziyal. He kissed <i>you</i>.”</p><p>“It could’ve been a prank.”</p><p>“Do you think it was a prank?”</p><p>“Not really.”</p><p>“Then—”</p><p>“I think I should just pretend it never happened,” Julian decided. “Maybe he’s as confused about it as I am! He probably wants to forget this whole mess, too. Move on.”</p><p>“Uhhhhh, okay, but don’t you think you oughta, like, ask him—”</p><p>“And then after we’ve both cooled off, we can go back to being friends like before, and it’ll be fine.” Julian’s thighs dropped into a cross-legged position, and he slapped his hands decisively to his knees. “Lunch every week. Talk about books and politics and fashion and medicine. Like normal.”</p><p>Miles looked baffled. “Why can’t you be friends <i>and</i> have lunch <i>and</i> be a couple? Come on, even with Ziyal in the mix, it’s not like it’s impossible for someone to comfortably date two people at once. You could all be happy.”</p><p>“It’s just... too complicated.” Julian stood up, stroking the rip in his shirt so the flap met the tear. “Anyway. Thank you.”</p><p>“For what?!” Miles got up.</p><p>“For listening. And for offering suggestions.”</p><p>“But you’re not taking my suggestions.”</p><p>“But hearing them helped – because now I know talking to him about this is definitely <i>not</i> what I want to do.”</p><p>Miles thumbed at his closed eyes. “Hhhhnnhh.”</p><p>Julian reached in and clapped Miles on the arm. “Go on,” he told him. “Get yourself to bed; you look terrible.”</p><p>Miles sneered. “Look here, you lanky little dope. Do what you like with Garak. Avoid the subject. Fine. But I’m telling ya, Julian, you have to live on this station with him. If you want to have lunch with him, you have to talk to him. And I <i>promise</i> you: sexual, romantic feelings as long-term and intense as whatever you’ve been feeling for Garak, they won’t magically go away until you <i>do</i> something about them.”</p><p>“Sure they will.” Julian smiled, heading for the doors of the racquetball court. “My feelings for you did.”</p><p>He left with a smile, and Miles stayed behind in aghast silence.</p>
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</div>Keiko sat bolt-upright in the bed, tugging hair out of her mouth. She’d heard the door. Sluggishly wriggling her way to her feet, she tied the waist of her robe, which she’d kept on as she’d sprawled out for a nap. She blinked away her fatigue. “Computer, time.”<p>“<i>Time is one-sixteen hours.</i>”</p><p>Keiko found Miles in their living room, sitting on the couch with a blank look on his face. She was about to tell him off for sitting down while sweaty, but then realised there wasn’t a fleck of perspiration on him.</p><p>“What happened?” she asked, moving to sit by him.</p><p>Miles drew in a deep, self-assuring breath, then let it out, and gave Keiko a stubborn smile. “Nothing, actually. Julian was just upset about... Garak. Needed to talk it out.”</p><p>“Oh, what did Garak do now?” Keiko chided. That old tailor was charming, and he had the capacity for such kindness when the mood took him, but golly, in between those moments, he was trouble.</p><p>“Uh. Nothing, really. Nothing... bad, I suppose.” Miles seemed so listless, and he threw himself back into the couch cushions, a fist on his forehead. “It was more that Julian tried to pull an April Fool’s prank on him, and it went wrong.”</p><p>Keiko chilled. “Nobody got hurt?”</p><p>“Physically? Nah.” Miles folded his arms, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling grates. “Julian’s a bit rattled. Garak’s probably shaken up even worse, but we won’t know how badly until something around here gets exploded, would we?”</p><p>Keiko waited for details, but Miles wasn’t talking. Another one of those private man-to-man things, no doubt. She patted her husband’s arm and stood up, leaning over to put a kiss on his forehead. “Come on. Let’s get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow.”</p><p>“Ugh, don’t we always?”</p><p>Keiko held Miles’ hand and helped him up, and he followed her to the bedroom, shedding his still-clean sports clothes on the carpet as he went.</p><p>As she settled back down to rest, Keiko worried about Julian. And Garak, by extension. It wasn’t often that thick-skinned Garak had his feelings hurt by someone usually so gentle. Hopefully it was something they could talk through. If Keiko had taught Miles anything, it was that open communication was the best and easiest way to fix complications in relationships. She had no doubt he’d reminded Julian of that.</p><p>And Julian was smart. He’d make the right choices.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Scenic Route</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Taking scenic routes around DS9 to get to work turned out to be more interesting than disruptive.</p>
<p>There were passageways that circumvented most of the Promenade that Julian would never have known about otherwise. A second jumja stall existed on the second level of the Promenade which had been open longer than the more popular one. That was news to him, since he’d never had <i>occasion</i> to visit the other side of this massive bicycle wheel in space. Who needed debates over lunch with all this to discover? Certainly not him.</p>
<p>Two weeks passed, and Julian had sampled more foodstuffs and bought more silly knick-knacks to fiddle with than he’d ever thought he could want. It occurred to him he <i>didn’t</i> actually want a bedside drawer full of clicky, squishy, tippy-tappy stim toys, or a midday diet consisting of various intergalactic snack foods, but what else was he to do? </p>
<p>He couldn’t have what he really wanted.</p>
<p>The goal, of course, was to avoid walking past Garak’s Clothiers on the way to work. However, the problem ultimately was that the Infirmary was mere feet away from the tailor’s shop, so no amount of maze-navigating and secret-tunnel-finding would actually prevent him from having to do that last mad dash across the Promenade to get to his post.</p>
<p>Miles refused to beam Julian directly to the Infirmary. He was still stuck on the whole “just talk to Garak, ya damn muppet” thing. Deeply unfortunate.</p>
<p>But! So far, so good. If Garak had seen him, he hadn’t approached. Julian counted that as a win. Lunches had been put on hold without needing to ask. So they were on the same page, at least.</p>
<p>Julian headed out for long strolls during his lunch breaks now, searching for new places to eat. Adventure, see? He could do just fine on his own. No need to sit around sussing out truths from tantalising lies to feel a thrill.</p>
<p>Hands linked behind his back, his long steps fell slowly through sparse crowds. Curious eyes moved from overstocked fabric vendors to a table selling children’s plush toys. There, Keiko hung out with Molly, waiting patiently as the eight-year-old picked out a winter jacket for her toy targ. Julian shot Keiko a performative smile, going on his way without a word.</p>
<p>But, Keiko called for him, and he paused, looking back. Keiko hurriedly paid for the jacket Molly had chosen then took her daughter’s hand and approached Julian with a big grin.</p>
<p>“Hey, you,” Keiko said. “How’ve you been?”</p>
<p>“Ahh, good,” Julian lied. “You know, the usual. You?”</p>
<p>“Oh, busy-busy. There’s practically a florist’s shop set up in the Cargo Bay right now. An ensign on my botanical team put a decimal point in the wrong place, and now we’ve got more Bolian fissureweed blooms than we’ll ever figure out what to do with. The wasps should arrive soon, though, so we can fertilise a select few.”</p>
<p>“Free samples!” came a mewl from a nearby table. “You, child! Wouldn’t you like to try?”</p>
<p>Molly gasped, tugging on her mother’s hand. “Can we? Can we, can we? For a treat?”</p>
<p>Keiko smiled. “Molly, the jacket for Piggy was your treat.”</p>
<p>“Pleeeeeeeeease?”</p>
<p>Keiko sighed, giving Julian a long-suffering but amused look, and he beamed back, heart forever warmed by any and all childish antics. “Aaaall-right, we’ll have a free sample. But we’re not buying anything else, okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>Interested enough to tag along, Julian ambled over towards the sweet voice who’d called to them. He found that it belonged to a middle-aged crone with a huge and friendly sabre-toothed smile and cat-slit eyes. She stood behind a display table piled up with rows and rows of tiny colourful bottles with tall black caps.</p>
<p>“Hmm, let me see your hand,” she said, holding her paw out to Molly.</p>
<p>Molly stood on tiptoes to show the woman her palm. The woman turned it over and sighed, “Ahh. A red.”</p>
<p>Julian watched, fascinated, as the woman proceeded to paint a red stripe on Molly’s fingernail with a tiny brush from a tiny bottle.</p>
<p>Molly looked at the paint and grinned. “Thank you!”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome, little kitten.”</p>
<p>“Ah, isn’t that nice?” Keiko remarked to her daughter, who showed off her coloured nail. “All glittery.”</p>
<p>“What is it?” Julian asked, craning to see Molly’s hand.</p>
<p>“A free sample for you too, sir?” the seller asked.</p>
<p>“Ah— Oh, that’s very nice of you, but— What is it?”</p>
<p>The woman just held out her paw. “Magic.”</p>
<p>Scoffing at the concept of magic but curious about it anyway, Julian offered his hand, palm-down, and chuckled unsurely as the vendor cooed and examined it, tickling him a little with the fur between her leathery paw pads. Beside him, Keiko beamed as she watched his face.</p>
<p>“A dirty turquoise, I think,” the seller said as one tall, triangular ear twitched twice. “Something to set off that <i>lovely</i> copper tone of your undercoat.”</p>
<p>Julian wondered what coat she meant, given he wore just his uniform, but then he supposed she, as a feline, was probably referring to his skin.</p>
<p>He barely even understood what he was sampling until something cold touched his thumbnail. He gasped, watching a muddy turquoise paint being applied carefully to his nail. In just a second, it was no longer cold and looked glossy but not wet.</p>
<p>“Instant-dry claw and nail polish. Non-toxic, no fumes, no odor. And a colour for everyone. Isn’t that handsome?”</p>
<p>Julian retrieved his hand, and rotated his thumb back and forth, mildly gleeful when speckles in the paint caught the light and reflected in shifting rainbows. “Ooh-hoo, very pretty.”</p>
<p>“Yours for only six slips of latinum,” the woman said, whiskers rising as she grinned a little slyly.</p>
<p>Julian hummed and narrowed her eyes at her, charmed and irritated at once.</p>
<p>“For nine I’ll throw in another. Your choice of colour.”</p>
<p>“Go on,” Keiko encouraged, elbowing Julian’s arm. “Seeing something pretty on your hands is a small source of joy, but it’s still nice. You should try it.”</p>
<p>Julian’s eyes drifted along the rows, seeing every colour imaginable. The bottles had funny thematic names on their caps: Wormhole Wonders, Dominion Minion, Starfleet Silver... It went on.</p>
<p>He let his hand wander, fingertips tiptoeing across the labels. He smiled as he found one called Obsidian Opal. As the name promised, it had a black base, but as Julian lifted it to the light he saw a moving swirl of liquid turn into a flash of bronze and gold and cerulean and purple. He showed the bottle to Molly. “What do you think? Would it suit me?”</p>
<p>“No,” Molly said. “The turquoise is better.”</p>
<p>The seller nodded sagely.</p>
<p>Julian was sure Molly was right but hesitated on putting the bottle back anyway. It definitely wasn’t magic, yet he felt some unexplainable draw to its shimmer that he couldn’t quite explain.</p>
<p>“Just buy it,” Keiko uttered, half-grinning. “Take it up with the fashion police later.”</p>
<p>Julian grinned and rolled his eyes, taking the turquoise one and the black one in the same hand. He offered a thumbprint to pay.</p>
<p>“Have a good nap,” the seller said, swishing her long tail behind her.</p>
<p>Julian chuckled, thanking her and offering a “You too.” He shook his head and went on his way. He walked on through the drifting crowds, smiling down at his purchases.</p>
<p>Keiko walked with him; Molly skipped at her side. “You’re really okay?” Keiko asked. “Miles said you’ve been a bit mopey. And looking at you, I get what he means. You’re usually so bouncy.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m fine,” he promised. “Just, uhm... messed up my sleep schedule a bit. That’s all.”</p>
<p>“Right. Yeah, that really gets the best of us, huh.” Keiko stopped near a corner, ready to leave the Promenade. “Well, call on us if you need anything; we haven’t seen you in a while. Stop by for dinner, even!”</p>
<p>Julian smiled gratefully. “Um. Sometime, yes, I will. Thank you. Bye-bye, Molly!” He waved at her, grinning as Molly waved back, then told him firmly that turquoise was “his colour”.</p>
<p>He kept on smiling as the O’Brien ladies turned their backs and went off into the shadows of another corridor.</p>
<p>With a refreshed outlook after such a positive social interaction, and a quiet appreciation for his prettiest thumbnail, he kept walking until he was almost back where he’d started. Hmm. Getting a bit close to Garak’s shop for comfort. In his nervousness, he began picking at the polish on his thumbnail with his other nails and felt it flecking away to the floor.</p>
<p>Oh, this really wouldn’t do. He couldn’t live the rest of his life on this station never visiting the Replimat again just in case he ran into Garak. Not to mention that Quark had started leaving half-inviting, half-threatening messages in Julian’s inbox, wanting him to return to patronise the bar. A ravenous CMO with a three-hour metabolism apparently made a noticeable dent in the profits when he didn’t visit for two weeks.</p>
<p>With a sigh, Julian folded and made his way to the Replimat. Quark could wait. First, Julian just wanted some tea. And maybe then he’d figure out what to eat and where.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> <br/>★<br/> </p>
</div>Ziyal had long been aware that Garak was not especially open about how he was feeling. Sweetly, he liked to spin probably-fabricated tales about what brought his mood down in the tailor’s shop that morning, and he’d <i>always</i> smile for Ziyal’s benefit even when he might not want to, but his true outlook on life wasn’t something he handed out as easily as he did compliments. Yet, none of that meant it wasn’t clear how he was feeling.<p>When angry, stressed, in pain, hungry, or tired, he’d lash out about the pettiest things – usually his companions’ fashion habits or life choices, if not their mannerisms or unchangeable appearances. Sad, he’d complain about the tea or remark upon his meal with scorn. Happy, he’d talk more than he listened. Anxious or frustrated, he’d skimp on the first course and indulge with dessert. Truly, he wore his emotions on his delightfully fashionable sleeves just like everyone else. Whether he was aware of that fact or not was yet to be determined.</p>
<p>These last couple of weeks, he’d been everything but happy. Lunches had become silent affairs decked with sugary treats, while the few spoken remarks he made cut deeper than any knife. Ziyal had been bearing with it, knowing she didn’t cause or deserve the abuse, and just letting it float over her. She had hoped this phase would pass and that this bitterness would fade from Garak like any other emotion. There was no point in her asking what made him upset – he denied there was anything wrong. Even if he got caught looking dazed, he made up a story. </p>
<p>The next time Ziyal asked it was a different story.</p>
<p>Ziyal didn’t always know how to respond to Garak’s ire, nor his despondency, but she did know how to respond to panic. Panic could be abrupt or it could come on slowly; it could engulf a mind and body or fray at the edges until there was little left to salvage. After years living among and supporting other frightened orphans on Breen, Ziyal knew what panic looked like on anyone.</p>
<p>On Garak it was stopped feet, an absence of breath, a silent tongue, and eyes set firm.</p>
<p>Ziyal had taken a few more steps towards the Replimat before she doubled back, realising her older friend wasn’t at her side. Seeing him frozen in the walkway, despair in his eyes—</p>
<p>She turned. Her long skirts rustled as she searched for what he stared at.</p>
<p>All she saw was the doctor, all long legs and innocent eyes, looking around at the Promenade as people passed. He sat at Ziyal and Garak’s usual table, hands around a blue mug. Gosh, he looked tired. He was flicking frantically at one thumbnail.</p>
<p>Garak still wasn’t breathing.</p>
<p>Ziyal took Garak’s hand and murmured, “I think there’s room at Quark’s; we could eat there. I’d want some larish pie, wouldn’t you?”</p>
<p>Garak blinked but barely turned his head.</p>
<p>Ziyal tugged on his hand. “Come on, silly. Where’ve your feet gone?”</p>
<p>Garak looked down at his feet, then moved them one at a time, as if realising they were still attached to him.</p>
<p>“There they are,” Ziyal smiled. “Solid ground. Can you smell that? Delicious!”</p>
<p>Garak sniffed a little, then inhaled all his missed breaths at once. “Oh-hhohh, it’s...”</p>
<p>“Lunch!” Ziyal grinned. She tugged on Garak’s hand again. “Come on! Let’s find somewhere quiet to eat.”</p>
<p>“I-I-I’m not hungry,” Garak said as his eyes flashed towards Dr. Bashir then far away as his jaw tensed. “I must’ve eaten <i>much</i> too much at breakfast.”</p>
<p>Well, that was a blatant lie, since Ziyal had definitely heard his stomach rumble on the way here. But she smiled carefully and said, “Then let’s go and visit the Cargo Bay. I’ve been <i>dying</i> to sketch out the flowers in there, and Mrs. O’Brien said I could drop by anytime.”</p>
<p>“Ah, I’ve...” Garak took a careful breath in and out. “I’ve heard tell of these... fissureweeds, yes?”</p>
<p>“Exactly.”</p>
<p>They made their way away from the Replimat, going to the nearby turbolift and heading for Cargo Bay Three.</p>
<p>“Maybe I’ll get a chance to use the waterpaints Jake got me for my birthday,” Ziyal continued. “I’ve wanted to do a <i>big</i> painting, and there’s more blossoms than I’d ever be able to fit in a little sketchbook.”</p>
<p>“Ah, Mr. Jake Sisko,” Garak said inquisitively. “How <i>is</i> that young man of yours?”</p>
<p>Ziyal couldn’t help the grin that burst across her face, making her eye ridges bend over her plumping cheeks. “He’s good! He said thank you for the jumpsuit.”</p>
<p>Garak harrumphed. “And so he should. You would not <i>believe</i> the hideous garments he wore before he took it upon himself to impress you. Perhaps, in the interests of your budding romance, I ought not <i>describe</i> the clashing colours and questionable fits, lest you find him immediately too embarrassing to consort with.”</p>
<p>“Oh, tell me,” Ziyal begged, laughing as she held Garak’s arm. “It’ll give me something decent to tease him about. He’s too perfect for his own good.”</p>
<p>Garak took a deep breath, ready to proudly divulge Jake’s fashion failures, when the turbolift doors opened and Garak was again rendered speechless – but by marvel this time, not by panic.</p>
<p>Garak and Ziyal stepped out into the massive metal room, which seemed so small and cosy with so many flowers about. The delicate, fruity perfume was just divine.</p>
<p>Ziyal reached to touch a milky-orange bloom, and sighed in delight as she found it smooth and soft. Its petals slowly opened in response to her touch. Each flower had about eight spiralling petals, and the edge of each pastel wave was pigmented with darker shades. Each fissureweed plant grew up like a pillar from a pot, with a few dozen blooms making up its two-metre-tall trunk.</p>
<p>“Ahhh, how wonderful,” Garak said, strolling ahead. He took flower upon flower into his hands, causing them all to burst open and present their pollen to him hopefully. “Absolutely su<i>perb</i>. They’re in their prime for cross-pollination, do you see? They, of course, respond to chemical signalling and will bloom at even the <i>slightest</i> hint of reproductive pheromones belonging to almost any species, so <i>eagerly</i> awaiting fertilisation.”</p>
<p>“You mean like a Cardassian in heat?” Ziyal asked cheekily.</p>
<p>Garak harrumphed an amused noise. “Dear me. The fissureweed is a better sensor of airborne pheromones than anyone in your Bajoran lineage, certainly. But Cardassians... ah?” He waggled a finger tellingly. “With some honing of the skills, my young friend, we too can sense more than our fair share.”</p>
<p>He was happy now, Ziyal could see as much. Maybe it wasn’t too soon to ask...</p>
<p>“Garak?”</p>
<p>“Hmmmm?”</p>
<p>Ziyal watched the set of his shoulders carefully as he turned his back on her to admire the flowers. “What happened between you and Dr. Bashir?”</p>
<p>Garak’s shoulders stiffened, and his neck straightened; his hand dropped from the flowers. “Whatever do you mean?” he asked smoothly, turning to give Ziyal a confused look. “Has he been telling tales again?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I haven’t spoken to him,” Ziyal shook her head, thinking to herself that she needed to tease the truth out of Garak with all the innocence and artisanship she had in abundance within her. “I’ve just been having lunch with you so often, almost every day now, so I was wondering when you’ve been finding time for him.” She turned back to the flowers, smiling as she pretended to pay it all of her attention. “These are just so darling, aren’t they?”</p>
<p>Garak was quiet for a bit. Then: “When the doctor has time for me, I’ll have time for him,” he said, which was a statement unusually blunt for someone so naturally obfuscating.</p>
<p>“He’s avoiding you?”</p>
<p>Garak huffed through his nose, already regretting being so open. Ziyal realised her follow-up question had been one question too many.</p>
<p>Garak was the most exhausting person she knew, besides her own father. Despite all the untempered affection she harboured for the only other Cardassian on this station, she really couldn’t wait to spend time with Jake, who did practically nothing <i>but</i> share his feelings. There was no mask with him. Jake was what he was, and Ziyal always needed that openness after one conversation with this ridiculous grumpy lump. She’d really dodged a phaser blast when Garak turned her down, hadn’t she?</p>
<p>“I think Dr. Bashir misses you,” Ziyal said to fill the silence.</p>
<p>Garak looked at Ziyal sharply.</p>
<p>“I would,” Ziyal said. “If I were him.”</p>
<p>Garak grunted and turned away. “You know nothing about him.”</p>
<p>“I know he loves you.”</p>
<p>Garak didn’t react. “Then you know nothing.”</p>
<p>Ziyal tried not to let that hurt, but it did. Her chest ached, and a lump rose to throb painfully in her throat. She wanted to strike back with venom, but she had no venom in her heart at all. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry he’s abandoned you. That’s not fair to you.”</p>
<p>“No,” Garak agreed. “And it’s also none of your business what he has or <i>hasn’t</i> done to me.”</p>
<p>Ziyal drew a breath in through flared nostrils, staring in distaste at Garak. “I’m just trying to help.”</p>
<p>“If I wanted help, I wouldn’t ask <i>you</i>,” Garak snarled back over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“No, you’re right; you’d ask Bashir,” Ziyal said understandingly. “And he’s not talking to you, is he? Which is why you’re <i>sulking</i>. If you want to be angry, be angry at him. He’s the one that hurt you. Don’t take it out on me.”</p>
<p>Garak looked back now, eyes gleaming. For a moment Ziyal expected an apology, but what came out was this: “If you don’t care for what I have to say to you, Ziyal, perhaps you ought to find better <i>friends</i>.”</p>
<p>Ziyal snorted, shoving a flower in Garak’s direction. “Clearly.”</p>
<p>She turned to leave.</p>
<p>Ahead of her, the turbolift doors opened and Keiko stepped out. Her face lit up as she saw Ziyal and Garak, and she welcomed them both, exclaiming, “Oh, take one, won’t you? Take a whole plant. Just take it. We need most of them out of here by the end of the week.” She didn’t seem to notice the anguish Ziyal was hiding, and she certainly didn’t know Garak’s tells enough to see he was heartbroken. That plain and simple smile would fool almost anyone.</p>
<p>“They are gorgeous, aren’t they?” Ziyal agreed, beaming as she bowed to sniff another opening bloom. “You must have a whole maze in here.”</p>
<p>Indeed, Garak had wandered off into the flowering labyrinth, apparently wishing to distance himself from his own cruelty.</p>
<p>Ziyal knew he was sorry for lashing out, but how she wished he would <i>say</i> it! He really was as stubborn as an untrained riding hound. His tail was metaphorically between his legs but no amount of pitiful whimpering would make everything okay again. Heartbreak over his dear doctor wasn’t a good enough excuse for pushing all his other friends away.</p>
<p>“Ziyal? Heyy, what’s wrong?” Keiko asked, finally seeing Ziyal’s discomposure. “Is something the matter?”</p>
<p>Ziyal offered a smile, then checked back to make sure Garak was out of earshot. Quietly, Ziyal told Keiko, “He misses Dr. Bashir. He’s being a bit of a <i>brute</i> about it.”</p>
<p>“Oh... that’s horrible. Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“Um.” Ziyal hesitated, then allowed herself to break, face falling. Keiko took her into a hug, and Ziyal relaxed in her arms. After a number of seconds, long enough to empty her lungs, she pulled back again, smiling genuinely now.</p>
<p>“What do you mean, ‘misses’?” Keiko asked. “Julian’s still on the station; Molly and I were talking to him barely ten minutes ago.”</p>
<p>“They haven’t had lunch in a few weeks, I think,” Ziyal shrugged. “And Garak’s—” She glanced down. “I shouldn’t tell you.”</p>
<p>“Tell me what?”</p>
<p>Ziyal smirked. “Ohhh, that’s sneaky.”</p>
<p>Keiko chuckled. “I try.”</p>
<p>Ziyal sighed and glanced behind herself again. She made up her mind. Keiko was better-connected with the DS9 community, and she knew Dr. Bashir very well indeed: she’d be in a better position to help reunite the pair.</p>
<p>“This is a secret,” Ziyal impressed. “You can’t tell Garak you know.”</p>
<p>Keiko nodded seriously, taking her gardening gloves out of the pocket of her apron and slipping them on. She began tending to the nearest fissureweed, assuring Ziyal, “I’m listening.”</p>
<p>“When I was... interested... in Garak...” Ziyal blushed a little, hugging herself in embarrassment at her past self, “he turned me down. Not just because I’m too young for him, but—” She waited until Keiko met her eyes before saying, under her breath so not even the bugs on the blossoms might hear: “He’s in love with the doctor.”</p>
<p>Keiko’s eyes widened, and her lips parted. “He is?”</p>
<p>At a more casual volume, Ziyal said, “Well, he didn’t say it in so many words. But it’s obvious. He’s so <i>soft</i> when it comes to him, and his eyes sparkle in ways I don’t think I’ll <i>ever</i> be able to capture on a sketchpad. He misses him so horribly right now; it’s tearing him apart. I think maybe they had a fight, or a falling-out. Garak saw him on the Promenade just now and—” Ziyal swiped a hand down her face, showing it blank and staring. “He just shut down. He usually goes to the doctor for comfort, so now he doesn’t know what to do with himself anymore.”</p>
<p>Keiko straightened, faced Ziyal, and took off her gloves. “That must be what Miles was talking about... Ohhh, damn.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“The prank that went wrong...” Keiko drifted past Ziyal, a determined but dazed look in her eyes. She got to the end of the surrounding fissureweed plants, then looked to see which way Garak had gone. She went left, following him. Ziyal hurried after her, skirts swishing and making flowers open around her as she walked.</p>
<p>They took several turns, able to follow Garak’s path as the flowers remained mostly open, although they were slowly closing already.</p>
<p>Ziyal expected to find Garak agressively sulking, maybe plucking the petals off the prettiest flower he could find out of pure spite. But she and Keiko rounded a corner and came upon a sorrier sight than even that. Garak stood weeping in silence, cradling a white blossom in his hands, tears streaking his grey face.</p>
<p>“Ah! Hello again!” He immediately smiled like nothing was wrong when he saw he had company, but the shine on his cheeks gave him away.</p>
<p>“Garak, I need to ask you something,” Keiko said in a no-nonsense sort of way that Ziyal could tell would either be thoroughly rebuffed or meekly deferred to, with no in-between.</p>
<p>“Anything, Mrs. O’Brien,” Garak said, pretending to scratch his face to wipe the tears away.</p>
<p>“What was the prank that Julian pulled on you?” Keiko asked.</p>
<p>Ziyal heard the word through the Universal Translator, but she only had a vague concept of what a ‘prank’ was. It was a type of joke, wasn’t it? Comedy based on trickery...?</p>
<p>Garak searched Keiko’s eyes, needing a number of seconds to process and calculate how much Keiko knew. With his results inconclusive, he pried, “Which ‘prank’ are you referring to?”</p>
<p>“On April Fool’s Day. I, um... I gather you and Julian ran into some kind of upset.”</p>
<p>Garak seemed wary now, but twice as interested. “On which day of your month of April does the Fool’s Day fall?”</p>
<p>“The first. Let’s see – two weeks ago.”</p>
<p>Garak’s jaw set firm. “A prank, you say. A practical <i>joke</i>.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm,” Ziyal said tentatively, looking back and forth between Keiko and Garak. “Dr. Bashir’s too nice, he wouldn’t try and trick anyone.”</p>
<p>Garak gave Ziyal a stale look. “I reiterate, Ziyal: you don’t know him as I know him.”</p>
<p>Keiko looked worried now. “April Fool’s Day is supposed to be a fun day, Garak, that’s all. Humans tend to mess around, teasing. It’s harmless and... and funny. Or it’s meant to be. If he upset you, if he’s still upsetting you – then I <i>know</i> it’s unintentional.”</p>
<p>Garak’s returning look was ice cold. “If that is true, then he is a <i>crueller</i>, more oblivious man than I previously thought. And <i>you</i> – who would rather defend his actions than call them what they are: callous, ma<i>nip</i>ulative – are no fff<i>friends</i> of mine.” With that he turned his chilling stare on Ziyal and stalked off back towards the turbolift, head held high.</p>
<p>Ziyal knew many but not all of Garak’s tells. She’d just discovered a new one.</p>
<p>A break in composure deep enough to allow him to weep in public, piled under the sheer amount of ice flowing from his person, and that kind of <i>poison</i> spat in every direction... it could only mean one thing.</p>
<p>Elim Garak was <i>distraught</i>.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> <br/>★<br/> </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Keiko on a Mission</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You.” Keiko stormed across the living room the moment Miles got home that evening. “I need to talk to you.”</p>
<p>Understandably, Miles looked like a deer floating in a tractor beam. “What,” he said nervously. “What’d I do now?”</p>
<p>Keiko smiled, brought her husband in for an assuring kiss, then shook her head. “Not you. Julian. I need you to tell me what ‘prank’ he pulled. Poor Garak— Oh, you should’ve <i>seen</i> him.” Keiko turned away with a worried tut. “I don’t think I’ve ever known him to get so <i>upset</i>. Whatever Julian did broke his <i>heart</i>.”</p>
<p>“Puh,” Miles said. He went to the replicator and ordered cheese and crackers, plus some orange squash, then took the resulting plate and glass over to the table. He put his snack down but didn’t sit. Keiko looked over and saw him staring at her.</p>
<p>Taking a deep breath, as if steeling himself, Miles wandered closer to Keiko, joining her by the porthole and gazing out at the innumerable stars.</p>
<p>“Basically, it was a bad idea,” Miles said, “executed poorly.”</p>
<p>“Tell me something I don’t know,” Keiko smiled. “I’m going to need specifics if I’m going to fix this.”</p>
<p>Miles chortled. “Since when were <i>you</i> in charge of fixing Julian’s relationship problems?”</p>
<p>“Since Ziyal put me in charge of fixing Garak’s,” Keiko replied.</p>
<p>Miles’ eyebrows rose. “Huh.”</p>
<p>“Now,” Keiko said, tapping a finger onto her palm, “I need to know what the original plan was, what actually happened, and why it went wrong.”</p>
<p>Miles grumbled and rubbed his eyes with his fingertips. Eventually he lifted his head and let go of a rough breath. Tension showed in his face, particularly around his eyes. He wouldn’t look at Keiko – and even made a point of looking <i>away</i> before speaking.</p>
<p>“Well, the long and short of it was, uhhh... Julian. He... decided, got it into his tiny little augmented brain, that he was going to break into Garak’s quarters without permission. And, I guess – he kind of breezed past this when he was tellin’ me – he was gonna camp out in Garak’s bed until Garak got there. And then... <i>boo</i>!” Miles raised his hands in a lazy gesture of surprise. “That was the plan.”</p>
<p>Keiko frowned, arms folded. “Okay? Was he wearing clothes?”</p>
<p>“Was he—” Miles looked at Keiko in confusion. “What?”</p>
<p>“I’m just asking, <i>was Julian wearing clothes</i> when he was in Garak’s bed?”</p>
<p>“Ah... Yeah. Yeah.” Miles now seemed to understand why she asked.</p>
<p>Keiko pressed her lips together. “So what went wrong?”</p>
<p>Miles’ mouth opened and shut. Then he looked down in embarrassment.</p>
<p>“Just spit it out, Miles,” Keiko smiled.</p>
<p>Miles h’mphed, arms tightly folded. “So Julian went and crawled into the bed. And <i>then</i> realised he had...”</p>
<p>A long pause. Keiko waited.</p>
<p>“...Feelings.”</p>
<p>There was a particular intonation on that last word that made it clear Miles didn’t just mean romantic feelings. Keiko’s eyebrows rose as she began to piece things together.</p>
<p>“Then Garak came in,” Miles said, “and – they. Uh.”</p>
<p>“They what?”</p>
<p>Miles cleared his throat. “Garak kissed him, or whatever. And Julian got overwhelmed and wigged out and ran off.”</p>
<p>“And they haven’t spoken since, I think,” Keiko finished ponderously.</p>
<p>Miles sighed. “Figures. I told him to talk to Garak, honey, I swear.”</p>
<p>Keiko cooed and gave Miles a kiss on the nose. “I know, Miles.”</p>
<p>“Now Julian’s convinced Garak’s in <i>love</i> with him.” Miles scoffed at the concept. But his wariness drifted towards curiosity as he saw the hard set to Keiko’s eyes. “Wait, is he?”</p>
<p>“Honestly? At this point I’m thinking the feeling might be mutual.”</p>
<p>“Exactly!” Miles lit up with disgrace and relief at once, taking Keiko by the elbows. “Why can’t they get their heads screwed on right? Jesus. Trying to get Julian to navigate a decent romance is like playin’ freaking Whack-a-Mole. Every two seconds there’s some other garbage trait popping up and making him stupid again. Thought he was meant to be a genius. What kind of genius gets kissed by the love of his life and then ghosts them for two weeks straight, huh? That’s what I wanna know.”</p>
<p>Keiko felt a little charmed by Miles’ frustration. “I thought you hated Garak.”</p>
<p>“Look, the guy could be the secret head of the Obsidian Order for all I care. If he makes Julian happy and actually <i>wants</i> to do all the lovey-dovey crap Julian said he wants, trust me, I’d stand there and read their wedding rites myself.”</p>
<p>Shock chilled down Keiko’s spine. “Garak wants to get married?”</p>
<p>“I mean, Julian said so; sure.”</p>
<p>Keiko groaned, face in her hands. “No wonder he got scared.”</p>
<p>“Pff.” Miles set his eyes on the stars. He looked a bit baffled. “No wonder?”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> <br/>★<br/> </p>
</div>Julian loitered in the Infirmary, sipping his coffee and going through some genetic analysis slides that the computer had just finished this morning. In short, he was minding entirely his own business when Tora Ziyal stepped through the open doors and into Sickbay.<p>Julian glanced up and put his coffee down on the patient bed he lounged against, ready with a smile and a cheerful greeting.</p>
<p>Ziyal bypassed the public front area and approached Julian at the back, picking up speed and static as she went, until she was within feet of him and practically crackling with fury.</p>
<p>“You need to apologise,” she informed him darkly, thunder in her eyes and lightning striking from her shoulders. Julian leaned back over the patient bed, trying to get away from the tiny vengeful goddess who’d decided to pick a bone with him.</p>
<p>“Whuh,” Julian said.</p>
<p>“This is your fault,” Ziyal said. “And Keiko’s right – you don’t even realise, do you? Garak’s hurt. You hurt him. And you can’t even comprehend how much pain your little ‘joke’ caused. Typical.” She swept away from him, irritated.</p>
<p>Staring at the nearest wall panel, she calmed down with expert swiftness and then gave the slowly-straightening Julian a familiarly calculating look. Julian saw Dukat for a moment, and his blood ran cold.</p>
<p>“I care about Elim,” Ziyal said coolly. Tenderness mixed with her distaste, and a sheen of tears glossed her waterlines. “And if you still care about him anywhere near as much as he thinks you did before, then you need to swallow every <i>fragment</i> of your overbearing pride and admit that you <i>want</i> him in your life.”</p>
<p>“I—” Julian frowned. Then he frowned again and put down the padd he’d been working on. “Of course I want him in my life.”</p>
<p>“You have a hideous way of showing it.”</p>
<p>Julian gulped, guilt threatening to strangle him breathless. “I—” His eyes flashed to the ceiling, then to Ziyal, who waited for a decent reply. “I thought maybe we both needed some space. Especially given...” His breath caught.</p>
<p>“Especially <i>what</i>.”</p>
<p>Julian tried to smile at her. “Look... Ziyal...” He tried to get closer, tried to put an arm over her shoulders and treat her softly, but she <i>slapped</i> his hand away and glared at him.</p>
<p>“Don’t coddle me. Why does he need ‘space’? Isn’t there enough space out there?” She gestured out of the Infirmary doors. “He has so few friends in this void as it is. Losing you is <i>killing</i> him.”</p>
<p>Julian glanced towards his nurses, who’d gathered together to watch the show. Noticing they’d been caught, they disbanded, looking disappointed.</p>
<p>Julian hung his head. “Ziyal, the thing is... He hasn’t lost me. He <i>has</i> me, maybe now more than ever before.”</p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?”</p>
<p>“Hmnn.” Julian clawed at his hairline. “I didn’t want to get between the two of you. You care about him – and I... care about him... the same way.”</p>
<p>Ziyal snorted. “If that was true you’d be yelling at yourself.”</p>
<p>“Believe me, I have been,” Julian whispered with a frail smile. “The fact is, you got to him before I did. I had years. <i>Years</i>. And I never made a move. I was just scared I’d... screw up. God, I’m still petrified – and now it’s for a damn good reason, isn’t it? Maybe I’ll always <i>be</i> afraid. He realised that. He <i>told</i> me that. He obviously gave up on me once he met you, Ziyal. And yes, maybe he still thinks of me ‘that way’ sometimes, fine, but—” Julian wet his lips. “But, trust me, it’s better for both of you if I step back.”</p>
<p>Ziyal just looked confused. “What are you talking about? Why would you need to avoid him? And what have <i>I</i> got to do with it?”</p>
<p>“Do I really need to spell it out?”</p>
<p>Ziyal’s expression perfectly encapsulated the concept of ‘unimpressed’. “Frankly, I think both of you could do with some spelling lessons.”</p>
<p>Julian smiled. “Well, my problem has four letters. Begins with L. Ends with E. Has an O and a V in the middle.”</p>
<p>Except he realised he’d just created another problem. The Universal Translator was great and all, translating wild cultural concepts into a similar or descriptive phrase so even a society who had no relatable concept could perhaps understand a foreign word. It could do phonetic translations with some hit-and-miss accuracy. But it <i>really</i> wasn’t good with letter spelling.</p>
<p>Julian had no idea what Ziyal had heard, but it definitely wasn’t what he’d meant to say. She squinted at him like he’d just bleated like a goat. Maybe he had.</p>
<p>So Julian just sighed, shoulders slumping low. “I love him.”</p>
<p>Dear <i>God</i>! The words felt like heaven to say aloud at long last. But he shut his eyes fast, expecting the wrath of <i>hell</i> to descend around his ears.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I tried to stop, I really did. He kissed me and I pushed him away. I pushed him and I <i>ran</i>. I mean, I know, I <i>know</i>, even now I have no right to tell Garak’s girlfriend I had – <i>have</i> – designs on her partner. I’m <i>sorry</i>, Ziyal, and I mean that from the heart. I’m sorry to you, and to him. I’ve felt this way about him for years, and no matter what I do, no matter what <i>he</i> does, no matter <i>what</i> I tell myself, or tell him, or tell Miles, or whoever else I have feelings for in the meantime, I can’t – fucking – <i>stop</i>.”</p>
<p>He clutched his head. What else was he supposed to say besides the absolute truth? There was no way out; she wanted an answer; there was nothing to—</p>
<p>Ziyal burst out laughing. Julian opened his eyes.</p>
<p>Ziyal was adorable when she laughed: her Bajoran nose ridges scrunched up and her eyes gleamed. She guffawed with both hands on her middle, pale grey fingers scrunching into her dress fabric as her head fell back and her ponytail puffed up against her shoulders.</p>
<p>She finally snickered her way to a grin and met Julian’s perplexed stare. </p>
<p>“Doctor,” she said, as gently as she said anything under usual circumstances, all her anger gone. “Doctor, I’m dating Jake. Jake Sisko.”</p>
<p>Julian’s heart dropped out of his chest and shot through the floor, another six levels of DS9, fell through space for a few seconds, ice-cold. Then it bungee-jumped back into his body and overshot by a few miles. Then it landed where it belonged and stayed put, leaving him disoriented and arush with chills all over.</p>
<p>“You’re... not....”</p>
<p>“Garak turned me down,” Ziyal smiled. “As he should have.” She was so sparkly now, and all the static and pressure was gone from the room. “You really think he’d be interested in me? A ‘young <i>woman</i>’?” She laughed again. “Please. We’re friends, silly. Great friends. And, you know what makes us such friends? We <i>talk to each other</i>.” The fury was back. She gave Julian another Dukat-trademarked glare, and this one was distinctly murderous. “Apologise to him. Or, I promise you... you <i>will</i> regret it.”</p>
<p>Julian couldn’t tell if that was a threat on her part or a prophetic statement extrapolated from the logical trajectory of the current situation, but he nodded a few times, in no position to argue. He had no need to, either.</p>
<p>“I will,” he told her, as sweet relief began to flow through him, honey in his veins. “I just... need to figure out how.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> <br/>★<br/> </p>
</div>Garak emerged from the turbolift like a newly-adopted cat coming out from under the china cabinet for the first time in search of food. He looked around, eyes sharp, then took a few tentative steps forward.<p>“It’s just me,” Keiko promised, ten feet ahead, one hand on the white wire chair beside the cafe table. “Nobody else. We won’t be interrupted. I brewed us some green tea; do you want some?”</p>
<p>Garak put on a smile and nodded as he came forward. The flowers opened as he passed, and he inhaled their scent, totally relaxed by the time he reached the table. “To what do I owe this pleasure, Mrs. O’Brien?”</p>
<p>“Oh, Keiko, please,” Keiko told him with a grin and a flap of a hand. “I just wanted to have a little chat, that’s all. I hope you didn’t mean it, yesterday, when you said—”</p>
<p>“When I rejected your friendship.” Garak bowed his head. He placed his hands on the back of the seat he hadn’t yet pulled out. “Forgive me; I was not in my right mind.”</p>
<p>“Are you in a better state now?”</p>
<p>“Offered tea and a chance to explain myself? Of course.” Garak bowed his head in respect.</p>
<p>Keiko and Garak sat down opposite each other. Garak reached for the leaf-green teapot between them, but Keiko got there first, and Garak retreated gracefully.</p>
<p>“I’ll admit,” Garak uttered, head down, blinking a few times, “these last weeks have been... a bit of a challenge for me.”</p>
<p>Keiko offered him a handleless cup that matched the teapot in colour and form. Garak took the steaming vessel to his nose, inhaling deeply and solemnly.</p>
<p>Garak went on, “The crimes committed throughout my life have been... ah, numerous, varied, and often anonymous. Yet, the actions for which I feel the most remorse are the least violent but injured the people closest to me.” He looked up to meet Keiko’s gaze with his stunning blue eyes, full of sadness. “I am truly sorry for the cruelty I’ve burdened you with, my friend. Thank you for calling me back here today and allowing me to make amends.”</p>
<p>With a kind smile, Keiko admitted, “I actually called you here for a... hmm, related... issue.”</p>
<p>“Oh?” Garak sipped his tea, and Keiko sipped hers.</p>
<p>“Garak... I know what happened between you and Julian.”</p>
<p>Garak reacted only with a secretive smile and a tiny chuckle. “<i>Do</i> you.” He didn’t believe her.</p>
<p>“You kissed.”</p>
<p>Garak choked on his tea. He lowered it fast and swallowed twice to clear his throat. He glanced at Keiko, then down. “And who informed you of such fabrications, I wonder? The dear doctor does happen to have a dissembling streak. I wouldn’t take too much stock in his fanciful fables, Mrs. O’Brien. Oh, apologies – Keiko. Such a <i>lovely</i> name. Does it have any particular meaning?”</p>
<p>Keiko just smiled, watching him.</p>
<p>In the ensuing silence, Garak knew he’d been rumbled, and lowered his eyes.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Keiko asked him gently. “It can’t be easy, believing this was all a prank.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m quite all right.” He smiled. “Trust me; I’ve survived far worse than being the butt of somebody’s bad joke.”</p>
<p>Keiko didn’t smile with him, nor did she believe his assurances.</p>
<p>Finally realising Keiko wasn’t to be placated with tall tales, and wasn’t going to let them slip by her, either, Garak gave up.</p>
<p>With a heavy sigh, he admitted, “Knowing about this... <i>April Fool’s Day</i> of yours... only makes it worse. A fool has indeed been made of me. Not only were my affections rebuffed, but now I’ve come to discover he just wanted to trick me. Whether he meant to playact at seduction in order to laugh when I was interested, or simply realised my unfortunate truth and was repulsed by it... oh, either wounds me.</p>
<p>“For so many years I’ve had a... let’s say, <i>loose</i> relationship with honesty, and I’d be <i>happy</i> to let anyone believe I craved only their romantic interest when in fact I wanted something else. Suddenly I realise how unhappy a situation it is, being on the receiving end of such a ploy.</p>
<p>“I’ve been rather naive, dear Keiko.” He spun his tea on its saucer, not drinking it. “So terribly naive. All my life I’ve honed the keenest judgement, only for my awareness of the doctor’s motives to ultimately be clouded by...” He took a breath and couldn’t finish.</p>
<p>“Love,” Keiko said.</p>
<p>Garak shut his eyes.</p>
<p>The thickness of emotion grazed his voice as he murmured, “In that moment we shared, I believed completely that he wanted me. I don’t think I’ve ever misjudged a person so greatly as I’ve misjudged him.”</p>
<p>After swallowing some more tea, he added, “The worst part is, now I know he’s capable of such <i>incivility</i> to even those closest to him, and the more I realise how <i>good</i> a liar he is, the more I...”</p>
<p>Again, he trailed off, and this time Keiko didn’t need to finish his sentence. It was obvious what he felt.</p>
<p>“Garak?”</p>
<p>“Hm.”</p>
<p>“When you kissed him... was there any indication that... he was enjoying it? Genuinely? It could be a misunderstanding, you know. He might’ve just... gotten scared by how much he felt while kissing you.”</p>
<p>“The most convincing role is played by an actor who embodies his part to any extreme,” Garak replied. “You and I both know dear Julian is capable of sustaining complete lies, body and soul.”</p>
<p>“But did he—” Keiko flushed hot but persevered: “Did he kiss you back? Did he moan? Was his heart pounding, was he— Was he aroused? And was he aroused... <i>before</i> kissing you? You must’ve sensed his pheromones...?”</p>
<p>Garak stared at Keiko, astounded that she’d ask such questions.  Then he tilted his head, as if realising these were the leading questions of a courtroom lawyer, and she only asked because she already knew the answers.</p>
<p>And the answers were all yes. Now they both knew it.</p>
<p>There <i>was</i> something real and mutual between Julian and Garak.</p>
<p>Garak sat back a bit in his chair, the shine of hope in his eyes, lips parting as he stared at Keiko in wonderment.</p>
<p>But the hope faded, and Garak sulked again, staring into his tea. “Julian left. Now he refuses to acknowledge my existence. It’s clear where he stands on this matter. I have no intention of acting on my feelings for a second time if Julian wishes not to engage. I must come to terms with the facts. He doesn’t want me and never has.”</p>
<p>“Now, I know <i>that’s</i> not true.”</p>
<p>Keiko spoke firmly enough that Garak looked up, shocked by the surety of the statement. His eyes seemed brighter now, his grey face framed by the backdrop of so many glorious pastel blooms.</p>
<p>Keiko reached over the table and took the back of Garak’s hand, squeezing his delicate-scaled knuckles. “Sometimes people lie, yes. But sometimes the most incorrigible lies are the ones they tell to themselves.” She smiled, patting Garak’s hand twice. “Julian wants you, Garak. Ziyal heard it from his own mouth.”</p>
<p>Garak drew an incredulous breath.</p>
<p>Keiko’s response was to nod. “He <i>loves</i> you. He’s just terrified to show it.”</p>
<p>Garak’s eyes turned to the blossoms around them, a weak smile touching his lips. “If that’s true... then he and I have that very much in common.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> <br/>★<br/> </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Boo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Julian trudged into his darkened quarters, yawning with the back of one hand over his gaping mouth. He inhaled deeply, suppressing another yawn as he fumbled for the collar of his uniform, widening its gap to drape off his shoulders. He shimmied out of the jumpsuit completely as he reached the door of his private sleeping area, stepping from the starlit room to a nearly pitch-black cove.</p>
<p>With his jumpsuit discarded on the floor and his turquoise turtleneck shed across the foot of the bed, Julian balanced on each foot in turn and unzipped the sides of his boots. He dropped them and his socks to the floor.</p>
<p>Off came his underwear in one downward sweep – and then <i>flump</i> – he planted himself face-down on his bed, groaning as he swam closer to the pillow.</p>
<p>He relaxed, and sighed as the soft blue glow of his headboard flickered on. He patted around beside him, searching for his blanket.</p>
<p>Hmm. Smelled funny in here. What was that...? Raisins? Or jam. He must’ve forgotten to put his breakfast plate back in the reclaimer that morning.</p>
<p>No...? No, he had. He remembered doing it.</p>
<p>He sniffed, wrinkling his nose.</p>
<p>Definitely a fruity smell.</p>
<p>With a drone of reluctance, Julian rolled onto his back. Finally finding his blanket, he tugged it up over his exposed crotch. Ahead, past the foot of his bed, he could see part of the porthole’s light, but the edges were not as rounded as they ought to be. Something lumpy was blocking the view.</p>
<p>“Computer, lights,” Julian said as his pulse picked up.</p>
<p>With a whirr, the room’s lights brightened to a dim amber. Julian shrieked and yanked his blanket higher to cover his nipples. The room was full of flowers, and Garak sat ahead, leaning comfortably in the armchair: one hand curled under a cheek to support his head, one ankle hooked over the other knee. Bare feet, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a gentle smile on his lips and gleaming in his eyes as he stared at Julian...</p>
<p>“<i>Boo</i>,” Garak said.</p>
<p>Julian panted, kneeling up in the bed. “Garak, what are y— What are you doing here?”</p>
<p>“I believe the term is ‘playing a prank’,” Garak said. “Was that not obvious?”</p>
<p>It wasn’t.</p>
<p>There were a dozen pillars of pastel-coloured flowering plants set about the room, crowded around Garak, and looming over the bed. Their scent was subtle but... yes, fruity. Petals stood out from the open flowers like they’d been even more surprised than Julian.</p>
<p>“It— You—” Julian squeezed his thighs tighter together, pushing his blanket over his crotch. “Hmhh...”</p>
<p>“Surprised to see me?” Garak asked, his little finger teasing at his grin. He gazed at Julian like he might just eat him.</p>
<p>Julian huffed, managing to smile. “Very.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> <br/><br/> </p>
</div>“Hm.” Garak, now satisfied, let his hand drop from his cheek. He sat forward, his expression becoming intent but keeping the playful twinkle in his eyes. “My dear,” he said slowly, warmly, “you and <i>I</i> need to have a serious <i>chat</i>.”<p>Julian’s skin prickled all over. Annoyance overtook him, and he snorted, wrenching himself out of bed and wrapping the blanket around his waist for modesty. “In case it slipped your notice, <i>Garak</i>, this is <i>not</i> a good time. I’d highly recommend you <i>get out</i>.”</p>
<p>Garak let his ankle slip down from his knee, and both feet touched on the floor. His demeanour seemed more stoic now, but he didn’t get up. “If I get any say in the matter, doctor, I should like to observe that you seem to be finding it very difficult indeed to mark out ‘a good time’ to coexist with me.”</p>
<p>Julian glared, snatching his pyjama bottoms from near his pillow. “Try making an appointment if you really want to see me. Works out fine for my patients.”</p>
<p>“Doctor,” Garak said gently. He watched as Julian stomped and tugged himself into his pyjama pants, then discarded the blanket and reached for his striped top to wriggle into.</p>
<p>“Julian.” Garak exhaled. “You know I <i>hate</i> to do this, but I’m afraid I won’t be leaving until we’ve seen a conversation to its end. We need to discuss a few somewhat sensitive topics.”</p>
<p>“No,” Julian said, popping his head out of his pyjama collar then yanking the hem straight. “We don’t.”</p>
<p>Garak peered back, intrigued as ever. “What <i>is</i> it you’re afraid I’m going to say to you?”</p>
<p>Julian grimaced, eyes snapping to the nearest wall. He sucked on his tongue for a moment, then allowed himself – forced himself – to relax. He shut his eyes tight, head lowering.</p>
<p>Garak was right; there’d never be a good time. That was why this all went wrong in the first place – Julian believed the timing was wrong, always. But he knew now, after confessing it all to Ziyal... the timing might never be perfect. But Garak was forcing the issue, and ignoring it now would only make things worse.</p>
<p>“I’m not... afraid,” Julian said quietly. “Well, a little.” He huffed out a smile, then hugged his middle, rolling a shoulder. “A lot. I just wasn’t completely ready to have this conversation.”</p>
<p>Garak cocked his head a tiny bit, smirking. “And which particular conversation might that be?”</p>
<p>Julian rolled his eyes, starting to smile. He caught Garak’s gaze, then dropped it, letting go of a heavy sigh. “I’m <i>sorry</i>, Garak. Sorry for upsetting you when I... left. And sorry for avoiding you – I swear I thought I was doing the right thing! But... then Ziyal told me that... you and her...”</p>
<p>“Hm?”</p>
<p>Julian wet his lips and shook his head. “Misunderstanding. I think there’s been a lot of those, really, all around.”</p>
<p>He took a breath and met Garak’s patient gaze once again. “You know, perhaps you and I just got off on the wrong foot. Oh—” Julian touched his forehead in embarrassment. “God. Poor choice of words.”</p>
<p>Garak slowly stood up. “How so?” he asked.</p>
<p>Julian gaped at him, heat pulsing into his cheeks and lips. “I— I-ahhhh. Um. Nmm. Never mind. Not important. I just mean... things... between us... started badly. But if you’ll forgive me... f-for how I treated you, Garak... <i>Elim</i>...” Julian peered across the narrowing gulf as Garak paced closer, now only two steps away, his gaze unwavering and intent. “I think we could start over.”</p>
<p>“Ohh, I believe we could, doctor,” Garak agreed with a small smile. “I do forgive you.”</p>
<p>Julian relaxed with a smile and a slump of his shoulders. “Thank you. You were right,” he admitted, head down again. “I am scared. The thing is—” He looked around listlessly, then scowled and palmed at his forehead, forcing out, “Garak, I love you back. I do.” He heard Garak’s sudden shaky inhale but babbled on, “And I’ve been trying not to feel that way for – <i>years</i>. Years. Because I really, <i>really</i> adore you, stupid as it is.”</p>
<p>He chuckled, unhinged. He raised his arms outward in a narrow shrug, then returned his attention to the astonished Garak in utter exasperation.</p>
<p>“I mean,” Julian said, “we’re so obviously perfect for each other, aren’t we? And as soon as we get together we’re just going to be together forever, and – you know – get <i>married</i> and whatnot. And I’ll be the first to say it: quite frankly, Garak, it’s just such a big commitment, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed this about me but I’m a <i>bit</i> of a mess in most social situations – romantic relationships especially, don’t get me started – and, well, it seemed pretty clear, even to me, that I wasn’t <i>exactly</i> ready to get married just yet—”</p>
<p>“Doctor!” Garak held up a few fingers to stop Julian. “<i>Doctor</i>.” Garak had such a smile on him now, but it came across more amused than happy. A fond sigh escaped him. He lowered his hand as his gaze turned sweet; his smile softened to show pure affection. “You needn’t have worried yourself so thoroughly, dear Julian. Yes, I would <i>indeed</i> propose that we deepen our relationship to intentionally include romance, and, if you’re willing, some other assorted intimacies besides. However,” he sort-of-grinned, “I’m not in any way proposing <i>marriage</i>.”</p>
<p>Julian took a deep breath, then let it out. “But I am.”</p>
<p>Garak’s smile fluttered, lips parted; he seemed to frown while filling with elation – then his head drew back a half-inch as he realised: Julian wasn’t joking.</p>
<p>“I want it,” Julian told him as his voice cracked.</p>
<p>Now the room was spinning around with Garak at the centre. Julian’s body suddenly felt small and big at once; his heart pounded a metre out from all sides of him. “I want it, Garak, I want everything there is to have with you – and, my God, I am <i>terrified</i> of it. I don’t know what to <i>do</i> with the feeling. I never have. It’s too much— For you, for me. You took things so slowly with me because you were worried you’d frighten me. And I’ve been resisting you, resisting my <i>own</i> feelings at every damn turn, because I don’t want to frighten <i>you</i>. Believe me; the <i>last</i> thing I want is to chase you away. Garak, I want you in my <i>life</i>. For<i>ever</i>.”</p>
<p>To his credit, Garak didn’t turn and leave as Julian might have done in his place, and had done previously, and almost still wanted to do.</p>
<p>So gently – so <i>terribly</i> gently – Garak cooed, “We don’t have to rush to get married right this minute, my love.” The smile he offered now was perhaps the kindest one Julian had ever seen him show anyone. “You needn’t fear such a big change. We can go as slow as we like. Kiss. Touch. Spend time together. Nothing even <i>has</i> to change until we’re both prepared to go further.”</p>
<p>He stepped up to Julian’s front, taking Julian’s hands from his sides and cupping them together between their chests. His eyes were beacons of assurance, clear blue stars in a fuzzy floral nebula. “Just to know the feeling is mutual is <i>more</i> than enough for me,” Garak promised.</p>
<p>Julian gulped and looked down at their joined hands. Garak’s heat and tenderness could soothe even the most frantic heart. But Julian’s kept on pumping loud, arush with adrenaline, invigorating him to look up once more.</p>
<p>Boldly, bravely, Julian told Garak: “But I do actually want to make <i>some</i> changes, sooner rather than later. And for that... I think...? I think there’s really no better time than... right now...?”</p>
<p>He shut his eyes and gave Garak a kiss on the lips.</p>
<p>No hesitation: Garak embraced him and deepened the kiss, one arm around Julian’s lower back, the other gripping the back of his skull and making him turn his head. They both moaned the same note at the same time, then smiled. Julian grinned into Garak’s breath as Garak plucked Julian’s lip between his own. Pushes became suction, licks, quiet drones of satisfaction as they each tilted their heads the other way and ignited another burst of sparks in Julian’s belly.</p>
<p>“Hmm, Garakhhhh,” Julian breathed, face burning hot, hands weak where they grasped Garak’s loose top.</p>
<p>Their kisses slowed, and slowed, until they just pressed into each other, holding on, lips locked, arms enfolding their joined bodies into a sensual cuddle. Julian could feel the heat of Garak’s bare feet pouring against the sides of his own, and was thrilled by it.</p>
<p>He sighed, so happy.</p>
<p>Gradually, as their show of affection went on, Julian’s heart finally calmed down, now tingling pleasantly instead of attacking him.</p>
<p>“Mm’Oh—!” Julian broke the kiss as he remembered something. “I got you— Damn, where is it? Here.” He went to his dresser at the side of the room, navigating two flowering plants to get there. All the nearby flowers opened gaping wide as he brushed past. He found the Obsidian Opal nail polish and took it back to Garak, presenting it to him in an open hand. “I got you this. For your... collection of keepsakes.”</p>
<p>Garak took the little bottle, looking down at it as it settled on the pudge of his palm with the label face-up. “Ah!” he said cheerfully. “I’m very grateful, thank you.” He smiled up at Julian, who beamed back.</p>
<p>“Now, <i>these</i>,” Julian remarked brightly, turning to admire the nearest tower of flowers. A fingertip traced the edge of one bloom and it burst open in its excitement, dropping pinky-white petals down Julian’s front, two more floating in zig-zigs to land on his bed. “Interesting... Ugh, and they smell gorgeous.” He glanced back at Garak. “It was a lovely gesture, Garak. Filling my room with these. A little bit romantic?”</p>
<p>“Oh, a lot romantic, I should think,” Garak chided.</p>
<p>Julian chuckled, blushing for a moment. He warmed all over as Garak placed a hand at his lower back and kissed the nape of his neck, breathing out hot air and making all of Julian’s hair stand on end. Julian hummed a moan and lay his head back on Garak’s shoulder, appreciating the next few kisses even more.</p>
<p>“While I’m grateful,” Garak murmured, hooking his chin over Julian’s shoulder and peering down to show him the bottle on his palm, “I have to admit I don’t have the first clue what this is. It’s <i>very</i> pretty, though.”</p>
<p>Julian grinned, pushing off Garak’s torso and turning to face him. He draped his forearms over those exposed shoulder ridges and held his own hands behind Garak’s neck. He put a little kiss on Garak’s nose – his stomach hopped because he was allowed to <i>do</i> that! – then pulled back to say, quietly, “I can show you, if you like?”</p>
<p>Garak hummed a pleased note; he placed the bottle in Julian’s hand. “Please. I would be delighted.”</p>
<p>Julian looked around the room and decided the armchair was best. He led Garak that way by the hand. “Sit down here.”</p>
<p>He guided Garak like a gent and a lady on their way to a ballroom dance, and Garak took his seat with as much grace as an Edwardian aristocrat, hand still in Julian’s.</p>
<p>“Hmm.” Julian bent to kiss Garak’s knuckles, holding his eyes as he did. Garak beamed, eyes bright with joy.</p>
<p>How wildly gratifying, Julian thought as he knelt at Garak’s feet, setting the nail polish on the floor beside him. Julian was happy, and Garak was happy at the same time. They were in love at the same time, and were evidently obsessed with each other to a comparable degree. They wanted the same things from life and the same things from each other – or so it seemed. Such a combination had never once presented itself to Julian in all his years of existence. It almost didn’t feel... <i>real</i>. Surely this was too good to be true?</p>
<p>Garak’s hot hand on his cheek felt real, though. As did the pad of his thumb on Julian’s lip. As did the shock of meeting his eyes and finding them full of dark desires and sparkling sentiments.</p>
<p>“This... isn’t a prank... is it?” Julian asked. He slid his hands into Garak’s lap and held his soft thighs, finding himself practically begging at his belamour’s feet. “Garak, promise me...”</p>
<p>Garak seemed to melt; his expression fell to sympathy. “No,” he said gently. He bent and kissed Julian’s lips. Once. Twice. He pulled back to hold Julian’s chin, and his gaze. “This is, perhaps, the most sincere I’ve ever been.”</p>
<p>Julian sighed in relief. “I’m not tricking you either,” he whispered. “And I’m so... so sorry, if you thought I was last time. I really meant to surprise you, not seduce you. But it all went pear-shaped so quickly and I just – panicked.”</p>
<p>“Misunderstandings,” Garak said breezily, smiling down. “All in the past. I rather suggest we proceed to live in the moment. Without any <i>unshapely</i> pears.”</p>
<p>Julian chuckled. He turned his head to kiss Garak’s palm, still watching that adoring gaze, unable to get enough of it. “Deal.”</p>
<p>He knelt up tall, hands sliding all the way up Garak’s thighs. Faces level, they kissed tenderly, eyes shut, slowing their breathing to a desynchronous beat so they weren’t stealing each other's air.</p>
<p>A low moan burned its way out of Julian’s throat and rumbled between them. He sank to kiss Garak’s jawline, wet lips leaving shiny trails across those impossibly fine scales, then the ridges that led up to his left ear.</p>
<p>Garak groaned aloud, jaw wide open, as Julian set his mouth to a scale on Garak’s firm neck ridge. Sucking produced a shiver. A lick initiated a sudden set of gasps and tightened hands on Julian’s wrists. A smile against those same scales made Garak relax and hum out a glad note.</p>
<p>Meeting Garak’s eyes briefly, Julian checked they were in good standing, and, seeing a shade of lust in Garak’s stare and a lilac flush on his cheeks, Julian decided it was okay to take this further.</p>
<p>He bent his head low and put a kiss on Garak’s left knee. Garak wore some sort of linen capri trousers in combination with his flowy shirt – Julian was coming to suspect he was in his sleepwear. A knee kiss became a run of smooches down the front of his calf. Julian’s slim hands hugged behind the muscular curve as he lifted that leg from the floor and cradled it towards him.</p>
<p>Down, down...</p>
<p>He reached the cuff of Garak’s half-length pants and set his lips to the scales, making Garak coo involuntarily. With a gratified smile, Julian carried on, shuffling back a bit on his knees so he had room...</p>
<p>He lifted Garak’s foot to his face and began to annoint the scale-striped top with much-deserved kisses, pecks and smk-smk-smooches, then a long, delicate suck against his ankle bone.</p>
<p>Garak leaned back in his chair, marvelling in silence at the attention Julian gave him. Once the top of one foot had been kissed and breathed on and nuzzled all over with late-night stubble, Julian took the other and repeated the process. He got distracted near Garak’s toes and <i>moaned</i>, easing his cheek against those tidy talons and making Garak’s smaller toes bend back, so the pads pushed against Julian’s blushing cheek.</p>
<p>Julian peeked out through half-hooded eyes, feeling how much blood had flushed his skin: Garak’s feet were hot, but his own face was hotter. He parted the seam of his plumped lips with his tongue tip, then let go of a shuddering, fiery breath. He could barely comprehend how good this felt.</p>
<p>Garak looked at him with deepening interest. He held out a hand, taking Julian’s jaw, and Julian went where he was guided, summoned into a kiss. They tasted each other’s saliva, stung by the heat of each other’s exhales and chilled by the inhales. Julian felt wetness in his pyjamas, pressure growing between his legs; he wanted to play some more.</p>
<p>He knelt again and got back to Garak’s feet, sighing a moan of exhilaration as he rubbed Garak’s well-arched sole against his face. He nipped at his calloused heel with grinning teeth – Garak jerked back his foot, but after a few whispered apologies and wanton hands, Julian stole back the focus of his lusting attention and returned to kissing that same foot, nudging his forehead to it, tracing out the messy scars on Garak’s ankles with careful fingertips.</p>
<p>Still kneeling, he pushed his hips to the empty air. His pyjama pants were starting to strain now, his erection throbbing. If he lifted the hem of his top he knew he’d see a shiny wet patch, slowly growing. He wanted to show the wetness to Garak, to show him how much he enjoyed this.</p>
<p>Before Julian got his chance, however, Garak handled Julian’s cheeks once more and lifted him closer to embrace. Julian enjoyed being cuddled and kissed on the neck, and he groaned softly at the touches – but the craving to satisfy his fetish was too much. He slumped back to the floor, hungry hands stroking up and down Garak’s left foot.</p>
<p>He gave Garak an amorous look, but didn’t know exactly what the look had conveyed until Garak’s eye ridges rose, and Garak began to realise, without needing a word of explanation, that Julian <i>really</i> fucking liked his <i>feet</i>. Garak’s eyes darted back and forth between his bare foot and Julian’s blushing face, calculating. Finally Julian’s enraptured moan shook up Garak’s ankle, and Garak responded with an accepting, intrigued hum, air flowing out through his nose.</p>
<p>Julian glanced around, then found what he was looking for.</p>
<p>With a shaking hand, he reached out and plucked up the nail polish from where it had fallen on the floor.</p>
<p>He unscrewed the cap, smirking at Garak with wicked intentions in mind.</p>
<p>Giving Garak one more kiss on his hand, Julian then took his thumb into his mouth and purred as he dipped his tongue onto it. He sucked down to the hilt, bobbing twice before he popped his mouth free and away, leaving Garak’s thumb shiny and wet. Garak stroked that hand into Julian’s hair without pause, gripping locks, tilting Julian’s head, moving him at his mercy. Julian hummed in pleasure, but was glad to be freed, as now he could look down. He pulled out the tiny brush from the tiny bottle and saw it glisten with oozing manufactured galaxies.</p>
<p>“Any chance you’ll tell me what it is you’re about to do to me?” Garak asked, his jovial tone dipping towards the bass of raw, devastating lust. “Or shall I find out as we go?”</p>
<p>Julian lifted Garak’s heel onto his lap, close enough that the ball of his foot pressed Julian’s erection. He met Garak’s eyes and murmured with all the love he had: “Stay still and I’ll show you.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> <br/>★<br/> </p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Obsidian Opal Oral</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Garak wasn’t entirely sure why Humans apparently found this erotic. Despite being emotionally enjoyable, the touches and kisses seemed so physically innocuous to him, especially applied to an area he’d never paid any attention to, sexually. What excited him was how much Julian was enjoying it.</p>
<p>Clearly, for Julian, kneeling and kissing Garak’s feet was the ultimate act of sexual gratification. The flush of arousal under his brown skin that darkened his lips, cheeks, and neck was <i>most</i> becoming, not to mention the way his body moved more softly when aroused. His touches were all gentle, and, dare Garak think it, submissive.</p>
<p>But, the moment Julian settled to paint that cold, black fluid onto Garak’s toes, he began to concentrate more. His body tensed somewhat, being so careful not to paint messily. He had a surgeon’s precision in these matters, of course; the control he had over his artistic fingertips could rival Garak’s with a needle and thread.</p>
<p>Garak leaned forward in his armchair and watched Julian paint the talon on each toe, starting from the biggest on his right foot and moving outwards to the littlest. He took his <i>time</i>, peppering in kisses between each completed nail, making eye contact, blinking heavily, breath catching every so often.</p>
<p>For Garak, this period felt like a forced suspension of pleasure, and for a couple of minutes, while Julian enjoyed his right foot, Garak believed this act to be a form of sexual torture.</p>
<p>Well, he didn’t mind being made to wait. Anticipation was as glorious to him as eventual indulgence.</p>
<p>Then, as Julian moved to his other leg, Garak’s foot knocked Julian’s erection and felt the full, plump shape of him through his clothes. With a gleeful hum, Garak began to knead his painted toes onto Julian’s arousal, and delighted in making the doctor’s composure crumble: his face relaxed into a blank mask of pleasure, lips hanging open.</p>
<p>Garak massaged the thick bulge, pushing with the ball of his foot, making Julian whimper and squirm where he knelt. Slowly, Julian spread his legs; his hands took Garak’s pushing foot and held it close, starting to hump against it.</p>
<p>“Oauhhh, Garaaaaak,” Julian complained, frowning with his head back and eyes closed. “I’m n-not done with the nail puhhh... polishhh yet...”</p>
<p>“Then I suggest you get on with it, doctor,” Garak said shrewdly, while giving no indication he’d stop touching Julian so he could do so.</p>
<p>Julian bit his lip and moaned – but snapped out of it as the tiny brush he held between two knuckles wobbled and threatened to fall on the carpet. He set his head down again, to control his shaking breath as he redipped the brush, took Garak’s unpainted foot, and began to decorate his talons once more.</p>
<p>Garak kept stroking Julian’s erection through the fabric. Lifting the hem of his pyjama shirt with his toes, he found a warm, wet patch of darkened material, to his immense gratification. With a hum, Garak teased the source of the wetness, making it wetter and warmer.</p>
<p>Giving a hiss of shock, Julian’s hands shook. He got the paint on Garak’s scales but swiped it away with a thumbpad, still trembling.</p>
<p>He glanced up to check Garak’s expression, and Garak gave him a smile, which only widened once Julian felt assured and bowed his head again, returning to his task.</p>
<p>“Is this a common practise of Humans? A... ritual decoration of...” Garak met Julian’s eyes and trailed off. “Or is it just you with such a... ah, <i>particular</i> interest? The combination of toes, paint, and kisses doesn’t seem especially conducive to reproduction, nor, may I say, pleasure... even between two males.”</p>
<p>Julian managed a lopsided grin, shrugging a shoulder and bending to kiss Garak’s knee. “I’m not the only one in existence who likes this; I can tell you that much.”</p>
<p>“Hm!”</p>
<p>So it was, in essence, just him.</p>
<p>Julian settled into a sort of rhythm, allowing himself to hump Garak’s foot while maintaining focus on the – what did he call it? – <i>nail polish</i>. The strokes with the brush were precise, and he developed a set pattern for each talon: one stripe down the middle coated the majority of his canvas, then he’d go back to the cuticle and spread out the excess polish around the edges in two parallel stripes until there was none of the light grey visible. Then he’d redip, offer kisses and nuzzles, and move on to the next toe.</p>
<p>The chill of the fresh paint vanished within seconds, and were it not for the fact Garak could <i>see</i> the slightly unnerving rainbow shades on his toes, he might’ve forgotten there was anything there at all.</p>
<p>The longer this went on, the more Garak decided, no, he wasn’t aroused by this – but he didn’t <i>dislike</i> it. In fact he was quite charmed by it all, and found Julian unbearably adorable for being so excited by a little paint.</p>
<p>It wasn’t as if Julian’s interest had waned as he’d gone through all the toes, either. Perhaps it wasn’t wrong to note that he seemed even more aroused now than when he’d started.</p>
<p>Garak flexed his toes together, finally seeing them all painted. He was ready to remark on the beauty of Julian’s work when Julian capped the bottle in a rush and tossed the thing down; he cried out in desperation as he flung his torso against Garak’s legs, grabbed Garak’s thighs, spread them, and then looked up in want. What? What did he crave now?</p>
<p>“Can I lick you, Elim?” he whispered, such <i>desire</i> in his eyes. “I-I want to...”</p>
<p>Garak didn’t care what he was asking to lick. He stroked Julian’s hair back and nodded. “Do anything you like, my love.”</p>
<p>With a groan, Julian buried his face between Garak’s parted legs and began sucking open-mouthed at his crotch. Shocked, Garak drew in a belly-deep breath, arching back in the chair as he pushed his hips into Julian’s face. Garak’s hands gripped the armrests, which pressed dents into his thighs as he spread them as far as he could.</p>
<p>With sweet little coos of excitement, Julian lapped at arousal-wet cloth and snuffled hot breath against Garak’s cloaca, making him wish he’d taken his pants off so his erection could emerge without a barrier. Julian’s saliva made that clothy palisade so much kinder to his sensitive flesh – hot now, <i>soaked</i> wet – and oh, how inviting that tongue was! But Garak was trapped inside himself, pulsing out pre-seminal fluid at his opening and making the crotch of his pants that much harder to clean.</p>
<p>“Nmmohhhh, Goooood,” Julian moaned, lifting his face away to breathe. His eyes were mostly closed; his lips were red and swollen, and all the skin around his muzzle was shiny-wet and aflush with an attractive, rather telling ruddiness. Julian collapsed to sit on one buttock, thighs sprawled out. He pressed against Garak’s legs and snuggled at his knees, rubbing his face on the soft fabric of his trousers like some sort of affectionate sensory-seeking animal. The behaviours of the O’Briens’ pet cat came to mind.</p>
<p>In the thrall of his own gratification, Julian lifted the hem of his pyjama top, pulled down the pants only a little, and snuck his hand between his legs, wrist disappearing behind the waistband. His breath began to shudder, his body relaxing in relief against Garak.</p>
<p>Julian Bashir was a selfish lover, Garak had discovered. Oh, how he loved that fact. Now he got to <i>demand</i> to have what he wanted, or perhaps even <i>beg</i>, and either of those, truly, were among the most intimate things he could envision sharing with dear Julian.</p>
<p>Now he just had to figure out what to ask for.</p>
<p>Garak hummed, letting himself appreciate the torture a little longer, stroking the wetness between his legs with three fingertips while Julian masturbated at his feet.</p>
<p>It seemed inevitable, but here it was: Julian took Garak’s foot and began to lick his painted toes. Wet, hot, shivering tongue; Julian’s dedicated expression of bliss; soft moans – how lovely. It didn’t cause much pleasure, but it was pleasant nevertheless.</p>
<p>Garak smiled and purred an encouraging note, reaching out to stroke Julian’s hair while he sucked. Garak tried to pay attention for Julian’s sake, but he needed to plan ahead.</p>
<p>Long ago, Garak had made mental maps of Julian’s quarters. He knew the precise layout of the furniture and the usual places Julian sat, rested, or put down objects he used regularly. But Garak’s knowledge of the place had been registered with a defensive or pragmatic slant: where were the safest places to hide; where would Julian keep private things; where could a secret be stashed so Julian would never find it unless he was looking?</p>
<p>Now? Garak had to recalibrate his knowledge of the room, seeking new angles for his maps: where could they make love comfortably but in a way that would seem consistently interesting? Where would they make the least mess?</p>
<p>“Which surfaces or soft furnishings would you least mind getting wet?” Garak murmured aloud.</p>
<p>Julian just moaned louder, thighs squirming where he sprawled. He started to bob his head on Garak’s toes as if performing oral sex on an entirely different part of his body.</p>
<p>The chair was fine, Garak thought, as he watched Julian touch himself and he touched himself in turn. But if he kept sitting here, Julian would just keep on obsessing over his feet, and Garak wanted to at least be level with his face. The bed seemed the second most likely candidate, despite knowing sleeping on it afterwards would be all but impossible. Perhaps the floor.</p>
<p>Petals littered the carpet now; the flowers were responding to the pheromones in the room and opening out by the hundred, hungry for fertilisation. Garak himself felt a bit like a flower, blooming wide inside his pants.</p>
<p>He moaned, writhing into his own touch, gripping his fattened crotch with a hand. Oh, perhaps Julian’s tongue between his toes <i>could</i> produce a little erotic sensation. That was a surprise to learn. Garak shuddered, exhilarated by the feeling.</p>
<p>Julian had his mouth full up to the ball of Garak’s right foot, sucking and licking. Then he slipped back and let Garak’s foot escape him, slick and dripping with saliva, burning cold in the cooler air.</p>
<p>Panting roughly, Julian moaned, “Oh, God. Ouhhh, God. I’m— Ah. Garak. Garak—” He looked up in exquisite agony, round-eyed and beautifully turned on. His hand kept moving rapidly between his legs, shifting his clothes. “Canhh— Can I come on your feet?”</p>
<p>Garak tutted. “My dear doctor!” Making a point of being offended, he said, “<i>No</i>. Abso<i>lute</i>ly not.”</p>
<p>Julian seemed startled to hear such a firm ‘no’. He stopped touching himself, suddenly ashamed. “Oh... God, I’m sorry. I thought—”</p>
<p>Garak chuckled, and pushed his dripping cloaca to the leathery chair as he leaned down, taking Julian under the chin with bitter-smelling curled fingers, making him look back up. “I’d hate to have this be over so soon, doctor, that’s all. Perhaps once I’ve had some fun of my own, I’ll allow you to... hmm...?”</p>
<p>Julian’s eyes brightened with relief. “Okay.”</p>
<p>“Come with me,” Garak commanded. He pushed himself to his feet, wet in very noticeable places, including the soles of his feet and between his toes. He beckoned, moving towards the bed. Petals flung out towards him, circling in eddies where he passed. Turning to face Julian, Garak removed his shirt and discarded it on top of Julian’s uniform, then undid his pants...</p>
<p>He could hear the slickness of his own arousal, clicking almost, as he pulled down his pants and stepped out of them. His erection began to emerge immediately, thick and bold and pumping fresh fluid down its short length until lubrication trickled down his inner thighs.</p>
<p>Julian watched all this with his mouth open, dazed by the first-time sight of a naked and aroused Cardassian male. The doctor had never looked so darling, nor so fascinated... nor so afraid.</p>
<p>“Come, doctor,” Garak repeated, opening out a hand. “And we’ll explore this new frontier together.”</p>
<p>With a grin, Julian hobbled to his feet – then gasped, hand clutching his crotch. He squeezed, calming himself... Garak waited, fascinated to see what Julian looked like on the edge of orgasm. He remained tense for a number of seconds, then gradually began to relax, starting with an exhale, followed by his hand opening out on the pinstriped blue fabric he wore.</p>
<p>As Julian approached, Garak took his waist and gave him a soft kiss, humming lowly as he tasted and scented his own arousal on Julian’s lips. There was saliva all over Julian’s cheeks, but it brushed away on Garak’s neck as Julian ducked to kiss his throat.</p>
<p>Garak wondered how he’d come so far and fallen so low, letting someone have access to his throat like that. He hadn’t realised how much he <i>trusted</i> Julian until this, nor had he realised how much he would enjoy the feeling of surrendering to another so willingly.</p>
<p>“Doctorrhh,” Garak groaned, finally feeling the big thrust of arousal that had been withheld until now. “Take your clothes off for me.”</p>
<p>Julian panted as he dipped back, looking at Garak with the darkest eyes. There was almost none of that earthy green-brown left around his pupils at all. He shivered but said and did nothing else.</p>
<p>“You will not? In that case, doctor, let me assist you,” Garak suggested, taking Julian’s top and lifting it. Julian raised his arms, and Garak denuded his torso and discarded the top.</p>
<p>“Get yourself comfortable,” Garak told him.</p>
<p>He pushed Julian towards the bed, and pushed him again to make him lie down. In a second, his pyjama pants had been stolen away, and Garak took in the sight of him: skinny, delicate, with thick curls of dark hair between his legs and growing fuzzy up to his navel. His erection was pushed into his pubic hair: a feast presented on a platter. He was terribly pretty like this, especially looking so vulnerable and so keen at once.</p>
<p>As Julian elbow-walked backwards to get further onto the bed, he startled as he found the mattress scattered with petals. He propped himself up properly on his hands and looked around, laughing softly as more petals floated down over him, scattering his bony little shoulders with pastel kisses.</p>
<p>Garak heaved a groan, craning over his lover and guiding him further back on the bed until Julian was aligned with the mattress and Garak could mount him, legs open around Julian’s waist. Rising up, Garak set a hand under his own erection, pulling up a bit to present Julian with his open cloaca, which ran most of the length of his perineum, plush and wet and <i>more</i> than ready to be filled up.</p>
<p>“Oh my God,” Julian whispered, eyes half-shut, head tipping back a bit. “Hhmm.” He peeked at Garak, smile shivering. “I... kind of half-thought you were still teasing me. We’re really going to...?”</p>
<p>“If you have no objections,” Garak murmured, annointing Julian’s cheek and ear and jaw with kisses. “Is that something you want? To be...” his voice darkened, “inside me?”</p>
<p>Julian whimpered, mouth open. He nodded frantically, lying back on the bed with a flump. “Yes. Yes. Mm-hm.” He nodded some more.</p>
<p>“Ohhh,” Garak crooned, tracing Julian’s throat with a fingertip. “Then how wonderful it’ll be to wait.”</p>
<p>“Wait?” Julian frowned.</p>
<p>Garak smiled at him. “I enjoy... waiting.”</p>
<p>Julian looked a bit exasperated. But then his expression broke into a smile, then a grin, and he rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around Garak’s back, humming as he brought him down for a kiss.</p>
<p>It was a deep, satisfying kiss, taken in stages of slow-motion bites, given in breaths and rolling pushes, tongue tips behind teeth but the middles pushing for pressure.</p>
<p>“You see, doctor,” Garak said quietly, between lip-touches to Julian’s neck, “I’ve waited far too many years for this. And I believe it would be unthinkable to have it all over in a rush of excitement, don’t you? I do <i>so</i> like to... take... my... time.”</p>
<p>“Understandabl’hhh,” Julian breathed, eyes rolling back in his head as his fingers explored the two fat inches of Garak’s erection that had everted from within, and then the opening of his cloaca at the base.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Garak’s hand dipped down Julian’s body, making him cry out and raise his hips as Garak cupped that dark-skinned erection in his palm, stroking it fingertips to wrist, discovering its shape. He found those funny external testicles to be softer and wobblier than he’d imagined from the Human xenobiology textbooks he’d studied growing up.</p>
<p>While his cloaca opening shivered and clenched at Julian’s touch, Garak dedicated a minute to touching Julian’s testes and seeing what his face did. Julian liked to be squeezed gently – happy sighs, every time – and <i>loved</i> to be tugged – a bark of delight, a buck of the hips – but very much disliked having the little hairs pulled and would turn to violence without a second thought to make it stop. Which was strange, Garak thought, because Julian liked having the hair on his head pulled, and the hair above his genitals was almost as thick and he liked that being played with, too. What a funny little creature. Garak loved his conflicting idiosyncrasies almost as much as the man himself.</p>
<p>Garak paused in his exploration just to moan as he felt Julian’s fingertips dip inside his cloaca. He straightened a bit, hovering over Julian’s upper thighs, knees pushed deep into the bed. He sucked on his lower lip and pushed a few times onto those fingers, slowly, glad to hear Julian’s breath catch.</p>
<p>“You’re so <i>wet</i>,” Julian observed. “And it’s not just coming from your erection. It’s— You’re lubricated inside as well.” He sat up, smiling, slipping his fingers deeper inside, holding Garak’s blurring gaze. “Almost like,” Julian said invitingly, “you were <i>made</i> to have someone just <i>slip</i> into you.”</p>
<p>Garak shuddered, but retorted, “You shan’t be seducing me that easily, doctor.”</p>
<p>Julian hummed suspiciously, smiling all the while. “Oh, but you want me so <i>badly</i>, don’t you, Garak? You’re soaking. Is that what you’re waiting for? Me... sliding in. You sinking down on top of me. <i>Pushing</i>.” He made that last word pop against Garak’s ear, and Garak groaned helplessly, feeling a gush of fresh slickness breach his opening and dribble out onto Julian’s thigh. Julian hummed knowingly, and bent his head to suck on Garak’s neck. “You really must like to wait,” he murmured between smooches. “And I can’t help but think it’ll be so much better when we finally get what we want...”</p>
<p>“Ohhhh, you wouldn’t believe,” Garak groaned, half-smiling. “Juliaaaan...”</p>
<p>He folded forward, pressing Julian back to the bed. With a blare of urgency emerging from the back of his throat, Garak began to chew at Julian’s shoulder, marking him with teeth but being careful not to break skin. Julian breathed sharply each time, and it soon became clear he was uncomfortable. Garak eased back, about to apologise, but Julian shook his head.</p>
<p>“I’ll tell you if I want you to stop,” Julian whispered. He stroked Garak’s arm for comfort, then stretched out his neck, allowing Garak to bite him again – which he did, more softly than before.</p>
<p>“Guhh...” Julian apparently began to enjoy being bitten, as his noises changed and his body relaxed into it. “Ah... Hm. Hm...”</p>
<p>Garak, gratified by this, began to thrust his forehead against the side of Julian’s head, body lowering – not to penetrate, but to smother his wetness against Julian’s thighs – rocking back and forth for friction and to smear about what was already there. Between guttural groans, Garak began to <i>hiss</i>, such a deep and pleasured sound from behind the base of his sternum, rattling like a viper’s final warning. He pushed on Julian and marked him with the pheromones that poured off him invisibly, scentlessly, but could not be denied: the flowers around the bed were all open, overstimulated, dropping petals like the first cool, tentative spit-spot rains of a building monsoon.</p>
<p>“Perhaps you were right,” Garak said, voice straining as pleasure racked up through him like a static charge in a thunderstorm, building and building but showing no sign of immediate release. “I too want... everything. Everything there is to have with you.”</p>
<p>Julian chuckled breathily, legs opening, enjoying the feel of Garak’s swollen cloaca mushing to his erection, mingling juices concocting something especially slippery. “Of course you say that now,” Julian teased with a gentle eye-roll, “when we’re this close.”</p>
<p>“I do, though,” Garak said, breathing hot on Julian’s cheek. “I would indeed marry you, dear Julian. And... I will.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh,” Julian smiled. “Is that supposed to surprise me?”</p>
<p>He turned his head and stroked Garak’s hair out of formation, gazing at him with undeniable adoration. Garak ceased marking him just to look back, a hand moving to entwine through the back of Julian’s fingers, holding on.</p>
<p>“Consider yourself claimed,” Garak said softly, kissing Julian’s bitter-slick hand.</p>
<p>“Claimed? Like betrothed?”</p>
<p>“Hm, in the chemical sense, yes,” Garak smirked, returning to humping Julian. He pushed his arousal down and tipped his hips, pleasuring himself on the wrinkled, ridged tip of Julian’s erection. “The marking scent is undetectable to most Humanoids, but—” He nodded to the flowers, then gazed back down at Julian, “there are some species, including Cardassians, who can sense a claim. Telepaths can. Bajorans can’t tell the claimants apart, but they notice when someone has been claimed. <i>Julian Bashir is taken</i>, they’ll think.”</p>
<p>Julian looked astonished, doe eyes wide, lips apart. “You’re telling me Kira’s going to be able to <i>tell</i> that we did this...? And Ziyal too?”</p>
<p>Garak hissed in pleasure, rumbling against Julian’s neck and biting him again. “<i>Yes</i>.”</p>
<p>Julian let out a breath. “Well, that’s that, then. You’d better fuck me and make it official.”</p>
<p>Garak chuckled. “Eager, are you?”</p>
<p>“Oh, sue me,” Julian said, rolling his eyes and grinning. “I think we’ve waited long enough, don’t you?”</p>
<p>Garak hummed a laugh, smirking down at his pretty prize, prostrate under him. “Alright,” he agreed. “But only because <i>I</i> want to, my dear, not because you want to.”</p>
<p>Julian pouted and nodded jokingly. “Mm. I believe you, Garak,” he said, softly sarcastic.</p>
<p>Garak chuckled. “I’ll ask you again – is there anywhere else in the room you’d rather see ruined than your bed? Whatever we do, it’s rather guaranteed to make a mess.”</p>
<p>Julian blew a puff of air between pursed lips, showing disregard. “Sex is always messy. And I don’t know if you’ve looked between your legs in the last minute, but I think the mattress is <i>already</i> a bit damp. A little extra isn’t going to make much difference, is it?”</p>
<p>A slyness tiptoed through Garak. “If you’re sure.”</p>
<p>Julian held out his arms for a hug, and Garak obliged, offering kisses as they embraced.</p>
<p>“I’m sure,” Julian murmured.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> <br/>★<br/> </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Hold and Release</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Well, Julian was sure.</p>
<p>Garak was sure.</p>
<p>They <i>had</i> waited long enough.</p>
<p>Garak sat up over Julian’s waist again, readying his hips so he’d press in at the most comfortable angle. He took Julian’s erection in his left hand and opened his cloaca with two fingers of his right, guiding the pair together.</p>
<p>Julian watched it happen and began panting, vocalising moans on every exhale. By the time Garak’s hands met, and he nudged the hard head of Julian’s erection to his entrance, Julian was shaking, and as Garak withdrew his hands and sank down to fill himself with <i>all</i> of Julian’s length, Julian looked about ready to pass out. He’d gone silent and still, tense in the bed with his head dug into the padding, hands gripping the sheets until they pulled free of the mattress.</p>
<p>While all this went on between his legs, Garak let his muscles shiver and clench in their excitement. Waves of pleasure came riding up through him like distant tides: good to notice but not much to react to. He got himself comfortable on Julian’s waist, heart warmed by the sight of him – such a wreck already. Garak looked forward to feeling equally undone. He knew it was coming.</p>
<p>With a sigh of determination, Garak shifted and began to rock in place. He wasn’t one for bouncing; he pushed forward and snuck back, sliding on all the fluid he’d used for making his claim. As he moved and set up a slow and steady rhythm, those waves of pleasure came closer and broke on his shore with audible rushes, hissing and fizzing upon his skin.</p>
<p>Garak began to hum quietly, shutting his eyes to savour the push, push, squelch of Julian inside him. Julian even spurted out some pre-seminal fluid of his own, and <i>that</i> made Garak groan, feeling it slick the root of his erection from the inside.</p>
<p>Julian’s hands moved to hold Garak’s wider waist, stroking with his thumbs. His palms moved to caress Garak’s lower back, and brought him closer to kiss.</p>
<p>Garak bent to accept his kisses, starting to sigh out little sounds – weak sounds, useless sounds, sounds that made Julian’s breath stutter and his entire demeanour look <i>devout</i> by the time Garak opened his eyes. Nothing would draw Julian’s attention away. He’d never looked so in love. Nor so sure that this was <i>exactly</i> where he wanted to be.</p>
<p>Garak smiled, and kissed his lover’s hand, fingers twisting to meet his lips.</p>
<p>“I will treasure you,” Garak promised him, letting go of any last doubt he had over choosing Julian. “My beloved one.”</p>
<p>Julian’s eyes flooded with tears; his lips twitched into an emotional smile. “<i>Garak</i>,” he uttered, voice heavy. “Kiss me. Kiss me.”</p>
<p>Garak did. Softly. He held Julian’s cheek as he did, and kissed with abandon, slow, so that every fragment of his love had time to pour into the touch and be noticed.</p>
<p>“Beloved one,” Julian echoed, marvelling. He smiled into the kiss, eyes glistening as Garak pulled back to grin at him. “Who’d ever guess you were the soppiest romantic on the station?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I think you did,” Garak remarked, fingering a lock of hair off Julian’s sweat-glossy forehead. “Or you would never have said a word to me.”</p>
<p>Julian didn’t know what to make of that statement. He grew dizzy, eyes unfocused; Garak had sped his thrusts to grab more of his wave before it receded. The tide was coming in, the wind picking up, heat rising as thunder rolled. Garak grunted and bucked down and down and down, getting Julian’s hard base to thump against the root of his own erection where it was most sensitive. The cleft of his cloaca stretched open there, and each nudge of flesh to flesh struck a stinging sea spray from Garak’s surface and coiled up a churning, churning pressure in his depths, something brewing in the dark. Heat. Breaths. He wailed and kept moving; his frame shifted more flexibly over Julian now, losing his connection to stability.</p>
<p>“Julian,” Garak whispered. “Auh— Ah.”</p>
<p>“Mmmm, that’s it,” Julian muttered. “You moan so beautifully. Oh, good <i>God</i>, you have no idea how gorgeous you look doing that, Elim. Don’t stop. Make yourself come – I want to watch you come. Ohhhh my God, yes... ye-hes....” He bit into his lip and whined, eyelashes fluttering but eyes forced open again and again, hungry to see Garak losing his composure.</p>
<p>So! Julian wanted a show, did he? Garak would oblige. He’d been readying himself for a modest orgasm, intent on keeping the passion to a minimum for softness’ sake. It didn’t seem right to overwhelm Julian with all his needs and preferences so soon into their intimate relationship. But if Julian could go straight into this arrangement by playing with Garak’s feet, then Garak saw no reason not to give Julian the full, honest presentation of ultimate Cardassian pleasure. It would be a first for him in company. But Julian was all his, now. And he wasn’t exactly going to shy away because Garak had too much fun, was he?</p>
<p>Probably not.</p>
<p>Garak decided to risk it.</p>
<p>Waves boomed onto Garak’s banks now, weighty like nothing else. Searing heat descended from his shoulder ridges as he snatched Julian’s hand to make him touch there, and Julian began to massage.</p>
<p>“Stroke,” Garak said. “Stroke me.”</p>
<p>Julian stroked those ridges as instructed. “Is that good?”</p>
<p>Garak nodded frantically. “I’m sorry to – to be the one to inform you of this, doctor, but— Ah— Auh... But.” He gulped, then shivered through an exhale. “I shall not be making myself climax tonight.”</p>
<p>“No?” Julian sounded worried.</p>
<p>Garak shook his head. “You’ll be inducing my pleasure, doctor. Now... Hmm. Don’t stop stroking. Use your thumbs.”</p>
<p>“Okay... How’s that?”</p>
<p>Garak peeked down at Julian, smirking when he saw him paying close attention, listening, watching. The doctor was prepared to be selfless, seeking Garak’s climax perhaps more than Garak sought his own. How funny it was that a man selfless in every other aspect of his life was so greedy in bed. He wanted to indulge his fetish; he wanted to come first; he wanted and wanted, and although he gave Garak what he thought ought to be pleasurable to him, he forgot to ask even <i>once</i> if Garak was having fun. Yet, now, he wanted only what Garak wanted, and to see that intention so clearly in Julian’s eyes was magnificent.</p>
<p>“Sit up,” Garak said.</p>
<p>Julian pulled himself up using Garak’s shoulders, and when Garak guided Julian to his throat, Julian began to kiss.</p>
<p>“Bite me,” Garak said.</p>
<p>Julian’s breath caught and released, and his kisses turned to little toothy nips. Garak froze, pausing his thrusts for a moment to let a <i>surge</i> of pleasure pass him by – it was too soon! He wanted to wait. He loved to wait.</p>
<p>“Fuck me,” Garak whispered. “Harder.”</p>
<p>Julian let one hand fall from Garak’s shoulder to hold his lower back instead, needing the anchor in order to pull himself up, nudging his hips with more force into Garak’s cloaca.</p>
<p>“Th— Th-There,” Garak started, “a sensitive part, at thhhh... The root. Base of my— Here.” He snatched Julian’s stoking hand and paused all other movements to show Julian the pink slit of his erection. Fingertips touched the spot together, and Garak moaned, eyes shut. “Touch me there. That’s where my urethra lets out. And just inside my cloaca opening. And for s’<i>kksksch</i>’s sake, take your damn hand off my back and stroke my shoulder.”</p>
<p>“I need the support,” Julian retorted.</p>
<p>“Do without,” Garak snapped.</p>
<p>Julian moaned, shuddering. He did as he was told. Their position was instantly less stable, but Garak liked that.</p>
<p>Then Garak realised... “You like being instructed?”</p>
<p>“Argued with,” Julian whispered, then moaned again as he returned to biting Garak’s tender throat. “And I... I think you like that too, don't you.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t even phrased as a question.</p>
<p>“If you know it so well, doctor, I’m surprised you haven’t tried to do battle with me for all this time.”</p>
<p>“Well, I would, but you’ve been so nice, and you’re really very, very beautiful, and I can’t think of a damn thing to be cross with you about.”</p>
<p>Garak crooned and smacked a kiss to Julian’s temple. “A sweet sentiment, doctor, but I’m afraid I can’t say any of the same things for you.”</p>
<p>Julian snorted and jerked back, snapping, “I’m trying my best, Garak. It’s not <i>my</i> fault I’ve never seen a fucking diagram of a Cardassian. If you weren’t all so damn <i>secretive</i> all the time, I might know more about—”</p>
<p>He noticed Garak’s smirk, and his irritation evaporated, replaced with a smile. “Oh, you little devil.”</p>
<p>Garak groaned as another roll of wet ecstasy washed over his sizzling beaches. “Ohh, you’re being <i>so</i> good to me.”</p>
<p>“Impertinent,” Julian grunted as he bit Garak’s throat, sucked his first and darkest neck scale, then licked his ear ridge. “And you’re rude. And arrogant. And I hate you.”</p>
<p>Garak chuckled aloud, headbutting Julian gently. “You’re not good at this.”</p>
<p>“Personally, I prefer your praise,” Julian commented, the touch of a grin grazing Garak’s shoulder. “But I’ll take the insult as a compliment, shall I?”</p>
<p>“It wasn’t meant as one.”</p>
<p>“Now look—” Julian hesitated, then asked, “Am I doing this right?” There was a softness to his stare as he met Garak’s gaze. “I feel like you should be moaning more.”</p>
<p>“It’s building, my dear, you’re doing fine. Perhaps – a little deeper with your fingerrrrAAH.” Garak’s body was whisked fresh under an ice-cold wind. “Just like that! Hhhyes. Ouhh. Julian. Julian.”</p>
<p>“It’s a bit exciting, isn’t it?” Julian muttered, before stuttering in pleasure, controlling himself, and going back to humping unevenly upwards into Garak’s sensitive, consciously-squeezing pressure. “You and me. Figuring th-this out? Together. Hm.” He kissed Garak’s throat, then remembered to bite. “Garak?”</p>
<p>“Hm.”</p>
<p>“If I need to come, can I come?”</p>
<p>“Not until I have,” Garak said firmly.</p>
<p>Julian shuddered. “And what about you, are you going to come whenever you like?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>Julian snorted. “Bit unfair.”</p>
<p>“I rather like things to be unfair, doctor. That’s how I win.”</p>
<p>Julian grinned at the tenderest spot of Garak’s throat. He exhaled there, then whispered, “<i>I</i> think we need a change in the status quo, don’t you? How’s this: you’re going to come <i>now</i>.”</p>
<p>“<i>Am</i> I,” Garak said incredulously.</p>
<p>“Yes, Garak, you are.”</p>
<p>Julian bit harder on his shoulder ridge, and for a frantic, hot moment, Garak thought Julian was right, as climax rode up— But he had more control than that: he squeezed his inner thighs <i>hard</i>, suppressing the gush of fluid that threatened to spill out. It was sitting low inside him now, sloshing and ready to release. It tingled. He felt the sparkling in his genitals; he felt heat and aching pressure and <i>desperation</i>. He wanted to relax and let it all go – but he wouldn’t give Julian the satisfaction.</p>
<p>“<i>I’m</i> in charge now,” Julian murmured seductively into Garak’s ear. “You’re all mine. You need me to help you finish, don’t you, Garak? So all you can <i>do</i> is surrender.”</p>
<p>Garak chortled, unheeding of such ‘wisdom’. “I think my current performance of vulnerability has rather gone to your head, doctor. I’m not at your mercy. I refuse to be cajoled into some logical fallacy wherein if I come on my own command, or give in to yours, you’ll believe it was your own doing. You cannot win, here, my love. Get back to stroking my shoulders, and let me do what I need to do.”</p>
<p>“Only you would think someone can ‘win’ sex, Garak.”</p>
<p>Garak tucked back his chin to smile at him. “You disagree? You’ve must not have had especially good sex in your lifetime, then.”</p>
<p>Julian looked a bit shy after that remark. “Would it be terrible if I said you’re right?” He gave Garak a soft kiss, eyes shut, breathing out. “I know we’re not even done yet, but this is... actually k-kind of the best sex I’ve ever had.” He smiled and fell into more kisses, sighing and reaching both hands up to tangle in Garak’s glossy hair. “I think it’s just because I like you so much.”</p>
<p>The loss of touch to Garak’s cloaca was irritating, but he forgot about that within a second as Julian’s kisses were... so very nice. Garak melted a bit, forgetting to move. They cuddled and kissed, and eventually, Julian began to bump again, but Garak didn’t do much to help.</p>
<p>Dizzied by it all, Julian murmured into Garak’s mouth: “I love you.”</p>
<p>Garak sighed in wonder, cuddling his love tighter. He nuzzled Julian’s shoulder with his cheek, eyes open just enough to see entire flowers collapsing around them, dropping onto the bed and coating the whole thing in delicate shades of white.</p>
<p>“Garak?” Julian pulled back.</p>
<p>Garak met his eyes, full of love. A tidal wave hovered up over the ocean, and for a while, it seemed not to move, not to do anything at all. Perhaps it foamed at the break, but froze there like a painting...</p>
<p>Julian put a kiss on Garak’s nose, fingers stroking his lips. “I can feel you,” Julian whispered, eyes on Garak’s lips, then his eyes, maintaining contact. “You’re holding back, I can feel it. You’re so tense. It’s tight— God, it—” A laugh shivered on his face, eyes flicking up, watering. “It feels amazing. But please let go. I’ll pretend you won.”</p>
<p>Garak felt his tidal wave change form, growing taller, threatening to overshadow the shoreline as a rumbling storm mounted behind it. But it didn’t seem to move closer, still poised a quarter-mile from its ultimate release.</p>
<p>“Garak,” Julian said again. He grunted and moaned in one sound, eyelashes fluttering. He pushed twice, slipping into Garak’s tight hole; both of them felt how aggressively he clenched, how unwilling he was to open up just yet.</p>
<p>“You don’t need to wait anymore,” Julian said softly, head turning. “Are you afraid?”</p>
<p>Garak snorted. “Of orgasm? Hardly.”</p>
<p>“Of showing me what it’s like for you,” Julian clarified. “It could be... revealing. And then I’d know all of you, wouldn’t I? You really would be all mine.”</p>
<p>Garak bowed his head, smiling. “Has it occured to you that I’m waiting for you to force me?”</p>
<p>Julian coughed out a laugh. “No? It hadn’t. Is that... what you want?”</p>
<p>“You dare to ask?” Garak glared at him.</p>
<p>Julian searched his eyes. “Soooo... that’s a yes.”</p>
<p>“Draw your own conclusions! I thought you were genetically enhanced, a veritable sponge of intellect, and yet here you are, asking petty questions of me left and right. Where’s your sense of superiority now, doctor? Where’s that insufferable trait of yours where you twist reality around your finger to get what you want? At what point must I beg for—”</p>
<p>He stopped there, breathing hard as his hands gripped Julian’s arms. Oh, how close he was to coming. He trembled in place, feeling himself leaking around Julian’s erection. A fast little rush of fluid came out with a hiss, and he tensed harder, shaking from thigh to shoulder.</p>
<p>“Please,” Garak breathed. His eyes fell shut. “Pl... Please, I-I want...?”</p>
<p>Julian had an audible smile as his wicked voice came parading down Garak’s shoulder, setting fires all the way. “Tell me what you want, Garak.”</p>
<p>Garak loved to beg but hated how hard it was for him to do. He shivered, crying out softly as another gush of clear semen escaped him, spurting from the tip of his erection. He was too damn desperate. He only had seconds of strength left, and then the floodgates would open, and he’d have lost his chance to beg.</p>
<p>“I-I want,” Garak whimpered, ashamed, and <i>loving</i> how hot the shame made him. He curled down against Julian’s shoulder, soothed by the doctor’s hand stroking his back. “I want you to tell me.”</p>
<p>“Tell you what, Garak? What do you want me to <i>force</i> you to do? Hmm?” Ugh, that audible smile was insufferable. Garak would’ve kissed it, if he could get to Julian’s lips without emptying his entire bladder at the first movement.</p>
<p>“Make me,” Garak breathed. “Make me come.”</p>
<p>That wave wasn’t still at all. Garak now realised it was just so tremendous in size and power that it dwarfed everything around it, and he hadn’t noticed how it moved: it hurtled for the shore, picking up speed and fury as it went. Julian was about to <i>end</i> him, and Garak flushed with the realisation that he’d never been so unprepared for climax in his life. Yet he wanted it to break him. He wanted to let go. He wanted Julian to see him fall apart completely.</p>
<p>“And how do you want me to do that?” Julian asked.</p>
<p>Garak almost shouted in his frustration. Julian knew perfectly well he was torturing Garak, and that fact <i>alone</i> caused untold pleasure.</p>
<p>“Please! Please.” Garak panted, gripping Julian hard enough to leave marks, fingers on his arms and thighs around his waist. “I n-n-need to— Julian...”</p>
<p>“Do you want me to <i>command you</i>?”</p>
<p>Garak whimpered, nodding and breathless. “And put— Put your fingers—?”</p>
<p>“Alright.” Julian spoke gently now. “Put my fingers inside you, is that what you want?”</p>
<p>Garak shook his head. “Cover my urethra. Hold it.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” Julian kissed Garak’s neck. “I can bite you too, do you want that?”</p>
<p>Garak nodded, squeaking. He’d never held back so hard before; the desperation burned him, <i>pulsating</i> low inside him. He felt Julian cup a hand over Garak’s little erection, palm pressing the weeping slit while fingertips touched the cleft of his cloaca on purpose.</p>
<p>“Now, Garak,” Julian said matter-of-factly. “Look at me.”</p>
<p>Garak had to use all the strength he had in his thighs and genitals to keep himself together. He pulled back and met Julian’s eyes. Every scale felt like it was dancing with anticipation for what Julian was about to say, and what would happen because of it.</p>
<p>“When I say ‘now’, you’re going to come,” Julian told him. “Come on me. Right where you’re sitting. Without changing a thing beforehand. And it’s going to feel amazing, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Garak could barely believe that he nodded like he was helpless. To have all responsibility taken away at long last felt so... good. He couldn’t explain it. Control was what he <i>thrived</i> on in his daily life, yet here he shivered, dispossessed of such a privilege, surrendering to how it felt and experiencing nothing but relief and joy.</p>
<p>He trusted Julian. He truly did.</p>
<p>Julian gave Garak’s cloaca a tiny rub, and a yelp of worry burst into Garak’s mouth but went silent there, as he’d only dribbled a little bit; he hadn’t released.</p>
<p>“How long can you wait, Garak?” Julian asked, his voice so smooth and so kind. “Do you really need to let go?”</p>
<p>Garak nodded, unable to speak.</p>
<p>Julian stroked that sensitive cleft a few more times, humming in gladness when Garak surged his hips in pleasure, tensing <i>so</i> much. Garak couldn’t even imagine how tight his cloaca had to be around Julian’s erection. How Julian himself hadn’t climaxed yet, given how close he’d been before, was beyond him.</p>
<p>Julian put a soft kiss on Garak’s lips. “I love you.”</p>
<p>Garak could only make a grateful sound and tried to show the sentiment was returned with just a dewy-eyed look. He was shaking on Julian’s lap, safe there. Cared for. Unable to breathe.</p>
<p>“Ready?” Julian asked.</p>
<p>Garak nodded.</p>
<p>Julian didn’t say anything else. He bent to bite Garak’s throat a few times, then leaned back again.</p>
<p>Garak started to pant, shaking <i>violently</i>, letting spurts of fluid out completely against his will. He begged Julian in silence, <i>please, please</i>, tears in his eyes.</p>
<p>Julian just gazed back, steady and level, a dominating little smirk on one corner of his lips.</p>
<p>Garak kissed Julian’s smirk, adoring his cruelty. And then he tucked his chin back, because he struggled to concentrate while distracted by kisses.</p>
<p>Julian sighed, lifting a hand to stroke Garak’s cheek.</p>
<p>Garak tried to bite his hand, but it was gone by the time he even turned his head.</p>
<p>“Look at me,” Julian reminded him.</p>
<p>Garak looked at his lover, ready to weep for all the effort he was expending. He couldn’t do this anymore. Julian was breaking him into pieces, and he’d never been so loved in his <i>life</i>. He didn’t know what to do with himself without Julian’s word. What if it never came? He might just hold on forever...</p>
<p>Julian smiled. “Come for me, Elim. <i>Now</i>.”</p>
<p>For a split-second, Garak wasn’t sure he’d heard right. But then Julian nodded, and Garak wailed in relief as he relaxed. The tsunami hit the shore and broke the world with its thunder; the ocean came pouring out of him, burning hot, gushing into Julian’s hand with an unbelievably loud hiss.</p>
<p>Garak stayed completely still, but Julian looked down, shocked by the utter amount of milky-clear liquid that poured out of him, gushing and gushing and spraying across his thighs and his stomach – and then splashing up to his shoulders and chin when he made the mistake of moving his protective hand. Garak had never felt anything hotter come out of him, nor so <i>much</i>. He remained silent, giving himself over to <i>feeling</i>.</p>
<p>“Oh, <i>God</i>,” Julian whispered. The wideness of his astonished eyes was a real treat to behold. “Garak, you’re...” He stared for a number of seconds, aghast – but then he sighed with slumping shoulders, starting to smile and blush. He lowered his eyes and kept watching as Garak emptied his entire bladder, finishing up with a final few squirts. Julian moved his hand at last, and let Garak finish on his belly.</p>
<p>Garak then started to moan, relieved sounds falling from him heavily.</p>
<p>Julian was apparently exhausted too, because he lay back with a thump, laughing as petals exploded out around him. The bed was squishy and wet now; Garak knelt in his own hot puddle as he lay down over and beside Julian, putting a kiss on his bare shoulder.</p>
<p>“Yyyh.” Garak fought to regain control of his voice. “Your turn.”</p>
<p>He slid a hand down Julian’s come-slicked middle, through his pubic hair, and curled his palm around his erection. He tried giving it a few strokes, and Julian hummed, but Garak moved on, feeling intrepid.</p>
<p>Using his own body’s lingering slickness, Garak lubricated a single finger and set it to Julian’s anus. Julian gasped aloud, head popping up from the bed as he tried to look down. Garak teased the finger at his hole, making Julian’s gasps shudder and his head drop back.</p>
<p>“May I?” Garak murmured. “Or do you still want to come on my feet?”</p>
<p>Julian shook his head twice, and flung out a hand to grip Garak’s knuckles and take hold. Julian guided Garak to between his legs and held on, wanting to feel as a finger slid... gently... inside. It was tight and hot in there.</p>
<p>Julian sighed in apparent relief, legs dropping apart and then spreading. He moaned with his eyes shut, feeling Garak push deeper.</p>
<p>“Curl it,” Julian urged. “Cuh— Curl your fingertip. Towards the ceiling. There’s a gland there, at the root of my cock, just— Ye-ye-yeah, just—! Oh, shit GarakGarak<i>Elim</i> oh-auH SHH—” He arched his back with his heels planted into the bed. Garak hadn’t realised it would be so easy; white ropes of semen erupted out across Julian’s middle. Julian almost screamed, but mostly groaned. Then he dropped back to the bed, completely spent.</p>
<p>He was still panting, shiny with sweat and blushing red from his forehead to his chest when Garak pulled out of him.</p>
<p>Julian managed to flicker open his eyes, giving Garak a dastardly grin. “You <i>did</i> win.”</p>
<p>Garak chuckled, leaning close to seal his lips to Julian’s. “I always win, my dear. But this time... hmmmmm, I think I’ll rule this as a tie.”</p>
<p>Julian wet his plump lips, gazing at Garak with the kind of dark-eyed adoration that could only ever be this intense in post-coital moments. Garak peered back, supposing he probably looked the same. He hoped his expression made Julian as deeply content as Julian’s expression made him.</p>
<p>After a few quiet and sleepy minutes of recovery, peppered with soft, sticky kisses, Julian drew a thoughtful breath and propped himself up on his elbows to look around. Garak thought he was looking at the flowers, which seemed to have exploded just as violently as Julian and Garak had – but when Julian spoke, Garak realised he’d been observing something else entirely.</p>
<p>“It’s dripping on the floor,” Julian said.</p>
<p>“Pardon?”</p>
<p>“Your... ‘come’,” Julian said tentatively. “It’s soaked through the bed, and it’s dripping on the floor. I can hear it.”</p>
<p>Garak smirked, feeling a little smug. “I suppose you’ll just have to sleep in <i>my</i> bed tonight.”</p>
<p>Julian turned a ponderous, amused stare on him. “You know,” he started, “I’m trying very hard not to think about how there’s really only <i>one</i> place to store that much liquid in a Human.” He wriggled to face Garak completely, cheek propped up on a hand. “Doubtless Cardassians are different. Aren’t they?”</p>
<p>Garak knew he was being far too sly, but smirked anyway. “Doubtless.” He pushed himself up to sit; then, feeling shaky, he got to his feet and went to get a folded towel from Julian’s bathroom. He walked slowly, trying to remain elegant and resisting the urge to waddle or limp. He came back and beckoned to make Julian sit up.</p>
<p>Julian bumped on his buttocks to the edge of the sodden bed, then stood, taken into a hug with a towel as Garak dried him off.</p>
<p>Julian giggled when the towel tickled him under the buttocks, and batted Garak away when he tickled him again on purpose.</p>
<p>“Okay, the thing is,” Julian said as Garak started to dry himself, “I do have a theory.”</p>
<p>“Oh?”</p>
<p>“If it did come from your bladder... assuming that <i>was</i> actually semen you sprayed on me, I’d say it’s likely similar to Human <i>female</i> ejaculation. It’s rare, but it happens. Ejaculate fluid accumulates in the bladder during arousal, then expels at climax. Makes sense, doesn’t it, given you have no external testes and perhaps no <i>in</i>ternal testes either.” He looked so proud of himself. Then came a bashful flicker of doubt. “Either that or you just peed on me.”</p>
<p>Garak draped the towel around Julian’s shoulders and brought him in for a slow, chaste kiss. He broke it with a smile, and let himself <i>beam</i>. “Doctor,” he said, “I’m offended you’d think such a thing.”</p>
<p>Julian giggled as Garak smacked a firm kiss to his cheek, turning his head with the pressure.</p>
<p>“Now,” Garak said, tidying Julian’s damp hair for him and brushing a couple of petals away, “I think I ought to officially invite you to my quarters for the night. There is a stab wound in the bed, but it’s certainly not <i>wet</i>.”</p>
<p>Julian chuckled, holding on to Garak’s hands for as long as he could while he stepped away. “Next time, Garak,” Julian said, “you and I are having sex on a tarp.”</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. New Arrangements</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>People had been pinching the fissureweeds from the Cargo Bay ever since it got around the station that they were free for the taking. Quark immediately capitalised on free real estate, claimed them all, and began charging for them. Odo, although he professed himself to be Opposed To Crime, didn’t seem to have much of a problem with people stealing what was technically Quark’s. The more Quark had been muttering to himself these last few days, the more Odo had been smiling.</p><p>At the very least, twenty or so flowering plants remained in the Cargo Bay. They were tucked around the white wire table and chairs and made a pleasant little nook for talking, tea-drinking, and all-round tranquility.</p><p>Julian and Garak had taken to having their lunches there. And maybe the occasional afternoon break. And breakfast, when they didn’t already have breakfast in Garak’s quarters.</p><p>Julian sipped his green tea, smiling against the mug’s lip as he watched Garak ramble on so passionately about his fondness for gardening. Julian hiccuped and swallowed quickly: he’d seen Ziyal step out of the turbolift.</p><p>“Ziyal!” Julian waved and beckoned her over with a fast hand. “Join us! Garak was saying just a minute ago how he’s been meaning to talk to you.”</p><p>Ziyal wore a gentle smile as she approached, a sketchbook and a set of paints held in one hand. “Not surprising,” she said, “given that he invited me.”</p><p>“You did?” Julian looked at Garak in surprise, then chuckled and felt warmth blooming through him, seeing Garak’s smile. “Of course you did.”</p><p>“Please,” Garak said. He fetched another fancy wire chair from a stack nearby and placed it up against the table, between his own chair and Julian’s. “Take a seat, my young friend.”</p><p>“Thank you, Garak.” Ziyal sat, and hopped her chair closer to the table. She poured herself some tea from Keiko’s teapot, sniffed it, then sipped. “Hm!” She frowned and sniffed the tea again. She looked a bit confused, peering at the cup, but sipped it once more and seemed to set her concern aside. She gave Garak a smile and said, “You’re looking <i>much</i> better.”</p><p>“Ohh,” Garak said with put-on dismissiveness, while his eyes darted to Julian, “I’ve had a good couple of days.”</p><p>Julian felt heat in his cheeks and ducked his head, paying a lot more attention to his tea all of a sudden. He looked up only because he heard the turbolift open again. Keiko appeared, wearing casual clothes and a big smile.</p><p>“Oh, we’re having a party, are we?” Julian chuckled. “Alright. I see how it is.” He got up and put his tea down, then fetched a chair for Keiko and set it opposite Ziyal. Julian patted Keiko’s arm in greeting as she came close, pushed her chair in for her once she sat, and then retook his own seat.</p><p>Ziyal sniffed the air again. “Can anyone else smell that?”</p><p>Keiko poured her tea and said, “We finally got the wasps in to fertilise the fissureweeds we needed for terraforming that Bolian moon. Once they’re fertilised, they mutate towards a more, umm, <i>metallic</i> aroma? than the fruity one.”</p><p>“Hm, no...” Ziyal was still sniffing – the cup, her hands, then bent to sniff the table – but shook her head. “It’s more like saltwater.”</p><p>Julian hid behind his cup and tried very hard not to look at Garak. The women would see him blushing at any moment, he was sure. He curled his legs together under the table, trying to make himself smaller.</p><p>“I can’t smell anything unusual,” Keiko said. “Are you sure it’s not the flowers? They’re letting off pheromones non-stop, and I know that Cardassians and some Bajorans... you can sense pheromones, can’t you?”</p><p>“Yes...” Ziyal, concerned now, got up and went to sniff the flowers. “I’m not very good at it, but I can smell <i>something</i>...”</p><p>While she was gone, Garak poured himself some more tea, looking smug. Julian shot him a dull look, only to see Garak’s smile widen.</p><p>“I don’t know.” Ziyal came back to the table, sat, then perked up. “Hey, it’s stronger here. It’s at the table...” She slowly stood up, leaning over the table to look at the teapot. Sniff, sniff... She turned to Garak, and he remained quite calm and patient as she sniffed his shoulder.</p><p>Ziyal blushed and sat down, shaking her head. “Sorry. I just thought, maybe—”</p><p>She turned to Julian suddenly. She didn’t move closer to him, but she <i>sniffed</i>. Her eyes widened, and her throat tucked to her jaw as she swallowed, her whole body frozen. She lowered her eyes quickly. “You know, maybe it <i>is</i> the flowers. Yup. Mm-hm! Silly me.”</p><p>Julian remained tense, trying to smile and pretend nothing was out of the ordinary. But then Ziyal shot him a coy, congratulatory look, and he couldn’t help but <i>grin</i>. He lowered his tea and chuckled, leaning to rest his forearms on the table and raising his eyes to meet Garak’s affectionate stare.</p><p>Keiko had noticed some oddness in all of this, and after a long, thoughtful silence in which she took a good look at everyone she sat with, she started to smile. She cleared her throat and said, sensibly, “We’ll have all these plants out of here by tomorrow, and there’s a new delivery coming in. We ought to enjoy this little garden while it lasts. It was a good idea to meet here.”</p><p>“Hm,” Ziyal said agreeably, while trying to smile and cover her nose with a hand. She nodded at Keiko like she’d said something five times more interesting than what she’d actually said.</p><p>Julian coughed out a laugh as he felt warm toes creeping up his ankle. “Ga-<i>rak</i>,” he chided quietly.</p><p>Garak raised his eye ridges. “Why, yes, doctor?”</p><p>Julian tried to kick him away gently. “Not now.”</p><p>Garak just looked innocent. “What<i>ever</i> you do mean?”</p><p>Julian sighed, beaming. Garak’s toes went back to stroking his ankle, and Julian allowed it this time. He blushed into his tea, and let his ears burn hot.</p><p>Keiko rubbed her forehead, having very quickly reached the end of her patience for outrageous flirting in front of her very eyes. “Was there a reason you called us here, Garak? Or are we just here as an audience?”</p><p>Garak drew a breath, foot slipping away from Julian, and probably back into his shoe. “Ah. Yes. Forgive me, I find myself rather distracted.”</p><p>Ziyal snickered, shooting Keiko a <i>look</i>, which Keiko reflected with equal gumption.</p><p>Garak sobered somewhat and stared down into his tea. “I wanted to offer a sincere apology. To you,” he looked at Ziyal, “my young friend. I’ve treated you quite horribly in recent times, and I hope you know how much I regret my actions. Everything I said to you was... entirely unwarranted.”</p><p>Ziyal’s smile vanished, slowly. And then a new one began, this one soft and subtle rather than entertained. She looked at Garak and gradually lowered the hand from her nose. She nodded. “It’s okay.” She hesitated, frowning, then said, “Well, it’s not, but what I mean is – I understand <i>why</i> you were such a brute.”</p><p>Garak’s eyes flicked guiltily to Julian, then down.</p><p>Julian hummed. “Garak? Do you solemnly promise not to do it again?”</p><p>Garak bristled at the condescending tone. “Must you treat me like a child in front of our friends, doctor?”</p><p>“Well, from what I gather, you behaved like a child, so.” Julian snorted, smirking. “Seems appropriate.”</p><p>Garak didn’t even argue, which was saying something. He sighed, then mumbled, “I’ll try to... be... nice. Even when I’m upset.”</p><p>Julian had to halt a huff of laughter in his mouth before it burst out. He didn’t believe Garak would succeed at ‘nice’ for a minute, but he did believe he’d try. That was good enough for now, considering what a well-presented mess the man usually was.</p><p>Ziyal even seemed satisfied, reaching to pat Garak’s arm. “Thank you for apologising.”</p><p>Garak looked fondly back at her. “Thank you for letting me.”</p><p>Oh, it was all so <i>civil</i>.</p><p>Julian couldn’t wait to get back to their quarters later that night and practise a great deal of <i>in</i>civility, preferably without any clothes on. The thought made him purr aloud, and he hurriedly cleared his throat to cover the noise, pretending he was just enjoying his tea.</p>
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</div>Miles, bless him, noticed immediately that Julian was in a good mood. He caught the ball Julian tossed him, and asked, “What’s up with you?”<p>“Oh,” Julian said with a tilted head and an entire soul blazing with happiness, “nothing much.”</p><p>“Oh yeah?” Miles grinned. They kept pace with each other walking down the dim blue hallway, heading for the Workout Deck. “You get back to playing tennis or something? You’re all... loose. Glowy.”</p><p>Julian bit his lip in a huge grin, chin tucked down.</p><p>Miles noted the lack of reply, and his expression faded from curious to wary. “Oh, boy,” he sighed, resigned. “This, uhhh. You, uhhh. <i>He</i>. You. Uh-huh. Kira mentioned something about... mating pheromones. Didn’t exactly get what she meant until— Jeez. Alright.”</p><p>Miles ceased trying to talk; instead he led Julian into a vacant racquetball court, yanking his sweatband firmer onto his forehead, then taking a good grip on his racquet. “Let’s just have a game, yeah?”</p><p>Julian stretched his arms back, then worked his torso side-to-side with his elbows out. He couldn’t stop smiling.</p><p>Miles gave the ball a few bounces alone, waiting for Julian. He hit a set of targets, and then dribbled the ball racquet-to-floor, trying to up the speed.</p><p>“Miles?”</p><p>Miles hummed.</p><p>“Look?”</p><p>Miles caught the ball out of the air and looked.</p><p>Julian showed him his fingernails and wriggled his fingers. That Terran Turquoise paint covered every nail neatly, and had been overlaid by Obsidian Opal. On Cardassian talons, the darker polish showed up black with rainbows, but over the teal it took on an orangey-pink hue, catching the light in flashes of gold.</p><p>“Okay?” Miles glanced at Julian. “What about it?”</p><p>“Garak did it for me,” Julian said, lovesick. “And— Look!” He dropped to sit on the floor, hurriedly unlacing the new rainbow laces on his sneakers that Garak had handwoven for him. He pulled off his shoes, threw away his socks, and shoved his bare foot towards the disgruntled Miles. “Look-look.”</p><p>Miles heaved in a huge breath, held it, eyes on the ceiling, then exhaled heavily, and sank down to sit opposite Julian. Flatly, he said, “Great. Nice. He painted your... feet.”</p><p>Julian crossed his legs so he could look at his toenails again. “He did <i>artwork</i>.”</p><p>“Uh-huh.”</p><p>“He’s really good with a brush, actually. And with his—” Julian glanced up, registered how nauseous Miles looked, and just smiled. “With other things you don’t want to talk about.”</p><p>“You got that right.” Miles slowly folded his arms. “”Hmmm. Look... it’s not that I don’t care, Julian, I just—”</p><p>“Don’t want to know,” Julian finished. “It’s okay, I get it.” He shrugged, reaching for a sock to pull back on. “You wish you <i>didn’t</i> know the things you know.”</p><p>Miles took a small breath. “You seem pretty happy, though.”</p><p>Julian met his eyes, beaming. He nodded.</p><p>Miles exhaled and smiled back. “Then, <i>that’s</i> all I need to know. That ever changes... I’m here for you. And—” He fretted, but enunciated his way through another offer: “And if you do really want to talk about your, uh... personal stuff...? I’ll... y’know. Listen.”</p><p>“Even if it kills you.”</p><p>“Even.” Miles nodded. “Just maybe not while we’re on the clock for the court, huh. An hour goes by too bloody fast.”</p><p>Julian chuckled, getting to his feet and pulling Miles up too. “Alright.” He flung himself into a hug with Miles, squeezed, then dropped back, glad to see Miles smiling.</p><p>“You—”</p><p>Julian paused, hearing Miles hesitate. “I what?”</p><p>Miles fiddled with his racquet. “You really had a crush on me?”</p><p>Julian laughed, reaching to clap a hand to Miles’ shoulder. “Trust me, Miles. Whatever I answer is going to fall under the category of ‘things you can’t unhear’. You hate me enough as it is.”</p><p>Miles grumbled affectionately. “Don’t <i>hate</i> you.”</p><p>Julian whacked his racquet against his friend’s. “I don’t hate you either. Glad we’re on the same page.”</p><p>“Five rounds?”</p><p>“Aw, ten,” Julian argued.</p><p>Miles shrugged his lower lip. “Fifteen. If I win you’re paying my bar tab.”</p><p>Julian grinned. “Ohhh, you’re on.”</p>
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</div>They really ought to do something about the living arrangements sooner rather than later, Julian mused. He and Garak had put in a request for shared quarters, much to Sisko’s hastily-suppressed surprise, but these things took time. Julian’s quarters needed to be emptied first.<p>Since Kukalaka had already moved house, right now the only thing Julian went back to his own quarters for was to shower and change his clothes, and both those things would be perfectly possible if he simply took all his clothes to Garak’s place. It wasn’t like Garak was short on storage space. He really was a Cardassian with a passion for fashion, and nearly half the living room was a mirrored closet.</p><p>The mirror was fun. Julian liked the mirror. Especially when no fashion was involved whatsoever and the floor was where clothes lived.</p><p>Ziyal had gifted them a canvas of abstract fissureweeds, blooming in pastel rainbows across the white. Without question, the painting would be going up on the wall. Garak’s Julian Box would be put somewhere on display too. There was no need to hide his interest now, was there?</p><p>All in all, moving in together ought to be the easiest thing in the quadrant. But what really set things back was the fact Julian just hadn’t figured out what to do about his damn mattress yet. It was dry by now, but he was in half a mind to toss the thing out of the airlock himself rather than ask a cleaning crew to pick it up.</p><p>Maybe up in Ops, Kira would remark to Sisko, “Incoming vessel—! Wait... It’s a... mattress?” and Dax would add, “Seems to be supporting some kind of unidentified bio matter,” and Sisko would say, “Raise shields, red alert,” but there’d still be fewer questions to answer at the end of the day.</p><p>Evidently, Ziyal told Kira about Garak’s marking scent already, and if Kira knew, that meant Dax knew, which meant all of Julian’s friends knew. They were probably all gossiping about the absolute <i>scandal</i> of him and Garak right now. But Julian had no idea what DS9’s anonymous cleaning crews talked about when he wasn’t there. They probably had collections of carpet stains that looked like faces or rude shapes. Keep it in the family, that’s what Julian thought. He’d rather be teased by people who liked him.</p><p>Yep. He should definitely toss the mattress out the airlock.</p><p>Unless...?</p><p>Hm...</p><p>Nope. Bad idea.</p><p>Julian was trying to resist his bad ideas these days, so he refused to turn the very graphic pictures in his mind into actionable words.</p><p>Julian came to a stop outside Garak’s quarters in fresh mufti. He reached out to ring the bell and heard shuffling inside – probably Garak tidying up in case the visitor wasn’t Julian.</p><p>As a smirk rose, so did a twang of mischief. Julian bit his lip, rang the bell again, then shot off down the corridor to hide around the first corner. He pressed his back to the wall, grinning, head turned to listen.</p><p>Garak’s door hissed open. Julian envisioned him looking around... now peeking out... and, yes – he took a step outside, calling, “Hello?”</p><p>Julian grinned wider, eyes squeezing shut. Gosh, he really did feel like a gleeful child sometimes. He loved pranks. It wasn’t like he ever got to play like this when he was little, so even the silliest, simplest things were fun for him now.</p><p>“Julian?” Garak’s footsteps approached.</p><p>Julian, for unknown reasons, sucked in his stomach and held his breath, heart pounding. Garak was getting closer.</p><p>“I know you’re there, my love,” Garak said casually, just around the corner. He’d stopped. “I can smell you.”</p><p>Julian puffed out all his breath. “I hope I smell nice.”</p><p>Garak prowled around the corner, eyes gleaming in the crosshatched blue light of the hall. “You’ve never smelled better.” He took Julian around the waist and pushed him to the wall for a kiss.</p><p>“Mmmm.” Julian stroked his fingers into Garak’s soft hair, scrunching it and stroking it in handfuls. “Mmwah. How was your afternoon?”</p><p>Garak smiled into the kiss. “Mm. Not too eventful. Mmwwm. Not bad. Mmh. Better now that – mhhm – you’ve come to seduce me yet again.”</p><p>“Don’t exactly have to <i>do</i> much, do I?” Julian grinned, nuzzling his nose against Garak’s cheek.</p><p>“There’ll be plenty for you to <i>do</i>, doctor,” Garak crooned, thumbing Julian’s cheek, gusting hot breath against his lips, “once we’re inside. I suspect we might find a few new uses for those precious shoelaces of yours.”</p><p>Julian grinned. “And how about a mattress?”</p><p>“Hm?” Garak cocked his head.</p><p>Julian blushed, rolling a shoulder. “I’ve got a, um... <i>used</i> one in my quarters, which neither you or I would really want anyone else to find. Seems like it might need a home. And a designated purpose. That tarp thing didn’t exactly work out, did it?”</p><p>“I’ve had crunchier sex.”</p><p>“I haven’t,” Julian replied. “<i>Not</i> a big fan.”</p><p>“No,” Garak agreed. He had the dark sparkle of a troublemaker in his eyes. “So you propose we keep the mattress, do you? And use it for...?”</p><p>Julian lifted and dropped a shoulder, shy but fully willing to follow through. “Whatever we need it for. Not like it matters if it gets... wet.”</p><p>Garak gave one of his rumbly, intense hisses with his teeth at Julian’s throat, pouring heat down his front. He pushed Julian gently against the wall and thrust his hips, slowly, <i>forcefully</i>, into Julian’s.</p><p>“IIIII’ll take that as a yes,” Julian whispered. “A<i>uuh</i>hh.” He shuddered, then hastily shoved Garak off him as a couple of engineering ensigns came past, eyes meeting Julian’s. The two girls glanced at him, then Garak, then looked at each other, and hurried off, giggling.</p><p>“Hmm.” Julian narrowed his eyes.</p><p>“Forget it, doctor,” Garak said with a knowing smile. “If not everyone knows about our intimate proclivities yet, they will eventually. By the end of the week, people will be expecting us to announce our engagement.”</p><p>“Well, I just hope they don’t know <i>everything</i>, that’s all,” Julian said, relaxing a bit. “I’d like us to have <i>some</i> secrets. And the less evidence we leave lying about the better. Twenty-three hundred tonight, Garak. We’re getting that mattress.”</p><p>Garak growled, putting kisses on Julian’s neck. “Twenty-three-thirty,” he muttered, “you’re lying on it.”</p><p>Julian groaned, kissed into oblivion by a lizard who truly knew what he liked. Into the kiss, Julian nodded. He grinned. And then he laughed. “Better lying <i>on</i> it than lying <i>under</i> it,” he mentioned. “Been there, done that. You’d probably <i>get</i> me with your sword this time.”</p><p>“Ohh,” Garak murmured, pure wickedness in his smile. “I’ll definitely get you with my... ‘sword’.” He hum-wheeze-chuckled at his own joke.</p><p>Julian smooched Garak on the nose, and let the bastard think he was funny.</p><p>Beaming, Julian eased himself off the wall, taking Garak’s hand and drawing him backwards towards their quarters. “Twenty-three-hundred is still a couple of hours away,” Julian reminded him. “Plenty of things we can do before then.”</p><p>“Dinner?” Garak asked.</p><p>That hadn’t been what Julian had in mind, but now he wanted nothing more. “Dinner! I hear there’s an overstock of some Bolian fruit trees in Cargo Bay Five. Do you feel like hanging out in a forest?”</p><p>“That officer in charge of placing the orders ought to learn how to make use of a calculator,” Garak uttered.</p><p>“Oh, but where’s the fun in that?” Julian chuckled. “Come on. We’ll take a blanket and some pillows, and we’ll make a picnic out of it.”</p><p>“Hm! A picnic... You know, I have <i>just</i> the fabric for that.”</p><p>And so they went, hand-in-hand, off to eat dinner, make trouble, and have a damn good time doing it.</p>
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    <b>{ the end }</b>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>♥ <b><a href="https://almaasi.tumblr.com/post/615614786586214400/fun-fact-the-flowers-bloom-when-they-sense-sex">Art on tumblr</a>~</b> (Please reblog so more people can find this!)</p><p>Thank you so much for reading!! If you had a good time, you should DEFINITELY check out <b><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;commit=Sort+and+Filter&amp;work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&amp;include_work_search%5Bfandom_ids%5D%5B%5D=8474&amp;work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bexcluded_tag_names%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bcrossover%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bwords_from%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bwords_to%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bdate_from%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bdate_to%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bquery%5D=&amp;work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&amp;user_id=almaasi">my other Garashir fics</a></b>~</p><p>If it was the smut you liked, I’d especially recommend <b><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22982374">The Doctor’s New Birthday Suit</a></b> (8k, tailor shop teasing), and <b><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/21528070">Bite Hard and Bite Sweet</a></b> (10k, chocolate + a very ashamed sub!Garak). And if it was everything else you liked, I’d recommend <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;commit=Sort+and+Filter&amp;work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=word_count&amp;include_work_search%5Bfandom_ids%5D%5B%5D=8474&amp;work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bexcluded_tag_names%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bcrossover%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bwords_from%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bwords_to%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bdate_from%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bdate_to%5D=&amp;work_search%5Bquery%5D=&amp;work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&amp;user_id=almaasi">the other long ones</a>. Or the short ones. Just... all of them, really. c:</p><p>More Garashir coming VERY soon, because my drafts are full of completed fics. <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/almaasi/">Subscribe for emails?</a></p><p>I hope you’re safe, dear space friends. May the necessary voids between us be filled with love. ♥<br/>Elmie x</p>
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